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Mrs. Finestein
Cat’s Eye Marble
Elaine’s cat’s eye marble has multiple layers of symbolism in the novel, at once representing isolation, the persistence of trauma, and Elaine’s innermost self. One year, all of the kids in Elaine’s class get…
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The Bridge
As a child, Elaine has to walk to school past a ravine with a wooden bridge over it—which becomes a complex symbol of transition, uncertainty, and imagination. There are rumors of dangerous men who lurk…
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Virgin Mary
Elaine learns about the Virgin Mary when she starts going to church with the Smeaths. Although she ends up growing distant from organized religion, visions of Mary recur throughout her life; Mary emerges as a…
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