Illness

Christina’s illness symbolizes the challenges and burdens that all people must face in their lives. When Christina expresses sorrow about her infirmity to her grandmother, her grandmother replies, “We all have our burdens to bear. You know what yours is, now. That’s good. You’ll never be surprised by it” (22). The narrative thereby categorizes Christina’s peculiar illness alongside the unique burdens that each person must bear.

Salem Witch Trials

The Salem witch trials symbolize the persecution of those who seem different from certain social norms. Christina often faces pity or persecution due to her infirmity, and she often thinks about the Salem with trials, in which her ancestor John Hathorne was complicit. John Hathorne used the trials, at least in part, to persecute people whom he saw as deviants, and in this way, he hoped to reinforce certain perceived social norms. Therefore, the...