Snake/Serpent

The snake/serpent is a major element to this story on a physical and symbolic level. For the christian faith a serpent is the classic symbol of the devil, the deceiver. In this novel the snake represents sin and danger for the members of the church of Signs Following. They trust their faith enough that risk their lives by placing these physically dangerous creatures and also symbolically represents everything that is evil and anti their religion. Chambliss surrounds himself with these creatures, even in his own barn and house which he keeps cool and dark in order for them to thrive.

Fire

Fire generally symbolizes life as well as rebirth, a classic example being the phoenix. In christianity there is also a strong association between fire and hell, the eternal resting place for sinners. For this novel Fire significantly represents rebirth, but it is up...