Firefly Lane

Hannah peppers the text with various pop culture references to ground readers in a specific time period. However, ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” appears in several places and serves a greater purpose. The first time Hannah mentions “Dancing Queen,” Tully and Kate have snuck out to a keg party after Gran’s death. When the song plays, Tully loses herself and shakes her grief and anger for a moment. Over the course of the song, Kate also lets go, and Tully notices how beautiful Kate is at that moment. At this point, the song is symbolic of freedom and joy. The song resurfaces at a fraternity party during the girls’ freshman year at college. As Kate talks to a guy outside, Tully pulls her away to dance. Tully is dragging her friend toward a symbol of their shared experience and the opportunity to shake off any regret or dissatisfaction. Readers encounter the song one last time as Tully puts headphones on and dances outside of Kate’s funeral. By this time, the song symbolizes her and Kate’s shared youth and joy, and it also reminds Tully of the beauty that she saw in her friend, physically while they danced and emotionally as they spent the remainder of Kate’s life together.