The Dog

The dog that Callie watches from study hall represents her emotional connectedness she feels to Sea Pines and the people around her at that moment. When she first sees the dog, during the time she refuses to speak to anyone, he is barking at passing cars and pacing, showing an unease. Callie’s silence mirrors this discomfort. As Callie runs away to check on her novel near the end of the novel, the dog does not bark at her, showing that she finally feels like she belongs there.

Connect Four

The Connect Four game that Callie plays with her brother during visiting day symbolizes Callie’s inability to look at a situation from multiple angles. Part of her cutting stems from this inability, as Callie cuts herself in part because she often thinks the worst about herself in most situations. When Callie’s therapist later...