Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Sam writes and sings a song for Grace called “Summer Girl,” which he sings to... Grace's mother. Okay, that's an odd choice, but he's a little shy. Grace's mother likes it, but it's a little repetitive and schmaltzy, filled with great lines like, “I'm never warm enough for my lovely summer girl” (35.39) and repeating the phrase “lovely summer girl” about eight times… you know, in case you missed the title.
It's interesting that Sam sees Grace as a “lovely summer girl” whereas Grace sees herself as “the embodiment of winter [...] a summer girl faded by cold” (8.58). We're pretty sure that Sam sees Grace as a summer girl because she is life energy that makes him want to stay human—like the heat of summer. But why does Grace see herself as a winter? Is it because she looks good in fuchsia?