Salt

Salt symbolizes the flavor of life. As an infant, when the midwife submerges Leila in saltwater to draw her into the living realm, Leila swallows the salt. This taste stays with her, a resounding symbol of the spirit world. Indeed, Leila relies on her taste memories to navigate her final moments of consciousness. Acute tastes link Leila to her past and on into her future.

Hula Hoop

The hula hoop represents freedom and entrapment. When Leila first encounters images of the hoop in the media, she feels it resembles liberation and joy. However, she reencounters the circle later as a symbol of imprisonment, a religious image her mother explains to her. Throughout the novel, Leila attempts to break out of her own entrapping circle and create a new, safer and freer sphere.

Nostalgia Nalan

Nostalgia Nalan’s character symbolizes balance. As a trans woman, Nalan embodies...