Ben Kessler’s manuscript symbolizes two different ideas in November 9. At the beginning of the novel, Ben tells Fallon O’Neil that he is a writer and hopes to publish a bestselling novel one day. Fallon suggests that he write a romance, and when they agree to a relationship in which they only meet once a year for five years, she suggests his novel be about them. This potential manuscript thus becomes Ben’s new goal. As the years pass, the manuscript becomes a symbol of Ben’s potential success as a writer and a tangible reminder of his arrangement with Fallon.

For Ben, the manuscript is not only a means to start his career, but a place to document his truth. He hides the manuscript from Fallon, as it contains his being responsible for the fire that scarred her. The novel-in-progress is more about his emotional scars and love for Fallon than it is about their unusual romance. Ben has struggled with trauma for years (that of his mother’s death and the fire), and the manuscript becomes his way of managing it.

When Fallon finds Ben’s manuscript and learns its secrets, it becomes a symbol of betrayal. For Ben, it continues to symbolize his truth, his way of explaining his past actions.