The Fireplace
The fireplace in the Hiddles’ Kentucky farmhouse symbolizes the hidden nature of people’s true thoughts, feelings, and motivations, as well as the idea that different people’s stories are often intertwined with one another. After Momma…
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Blackberries
Blackberries symbolize Sal’s changing relationship to Momma’s memory as she processes Momma’s death. As Sal tells stories of life before Momma left for Lewiston and died in an accident, she explains how much…
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The Singing Tree
The singing tree symbolizes Momma. When Sal was little, she regularly heard a bird singing in a tree near the barn. Sal could never locate the bird in the tree, which made it seem…
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Hair
In the novel, various characters’ hairstyles are associated with their identities, as well as the degree to which they feel happy and free in those identities. One of Sal’s defining features is her long…
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