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Symbols are objects, characters, figures, and colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.
Nick’s Blue-Stained Hands
Nick’s blue-stained hands from a fountain pen accident serve as a symbol of the hesitation the boys feel about making physical contact. When the accident happens in their shared cross-sectional class, their teacher asks Charlie to help Nick open the doors and get to the washroom, which is an intimate space where students can feel vulnerable. The situation thus puts the younger Charlie in a position of confidence and control and puts the boys on more equal footing. The absurdity of the situation means that laughter comes naturally to them both, and they start to joke around. But the blue stains also act as a barrier between them, making physical contact undesirable. The color blue stereotypically represents boys, so the ink could foreshadow the ways Nick is trapped by others’ (and his own) limited ideas about masculinity, and thus unable to touch Charlie before he learns to navigate his own sexual identity. He references it as a tattoo, which is forbidden at their private boys’ school, so it also acts as a taboo marker, warning others to stay away. It’s exactly the type of push/pull situation in which the two frequently find themselves as they share the delicate nuances of their feelings and experiences.
Charlie’s Last Name
Charlie’s last name, Spring, marks him as a character on the verge of an awakening. As the narrative progresses and Nick and Charlie’s feelings for each other deepen, the falling leaves that decorate the early pages turn into snowflakes before finally blooming into flowers. Charlie and Nick kiss in spring, surrounded by flowers. This parallels the way Charlie’s experiences of romance evolve throughout the novel. With Ben, Charlie experiences a romance’s dawn and fading away, but he seeks a real relationship that blossoms into love. When Charlie dumps Ben and falls for Nick, he undergoes a process of metamorphosis, discovering seeds of self-confidence and gaining the courage to stand up for himself with Ben. These seeds are nurtured by Nick, who assures Charlie that he is likable and talented, that he doesn’t need to apologize for himself, and that he is worthy of love in a bold, public relationship.
Bird Panels
Two birds are depicted throughout Heartstopper, representing Charlie and Nick and their dawning romance. The two birds first appear on the title page of the first section, “Meet,” visually evoking the idea that the two who meet in the chapter (Nick and Charlie) are paired like the two soaring birds. This emphasizes the connection between the two and casts them as love birds. The image recurs when Charlie arrives in the locker room to join the rugby team, as Nick stands up, beaming, when Charlie enters, and Charlie blushes back, evoking a sense that they something in them is soaring towards each other in excitement.
Later in the term, Charlie gets distracted after rugby practice by a series of text messages from Ben, and he leaves the locker room, while Nick wonders where Charlie is going. At that point, one bird appears alone against the sky. Simultaneously, Charlie’s world fractures, as depicted by the panels’ jagged edges. Charlie excludes his friend Nick from his struggle with Ben, leaving both boys feeling alone. The lonely bird image reinforces the idea that Charlie and Nick belong together. This message is driven home when Nick rescues Charlie from Ben’s unwanted advances—an act that repairs the fractured frames and restores visual order and emotional resonance to the novel. Later, Nick’s mom asks him about practice, and all he can think of is Charlie. The two birds are reunited, soaring together in the sky.
