Charlie

Charlie symbolizes companionship. Throughout the novel, Charlie is Vesta's only constant friend. After Walter dies, adopting Charlie helps Vesta alleviate her loneliness. At the end of the narrative, when Charlie appears rabid and attacks Vesta, she must kill him; though her act of bravery leads to Charlie's end, it ultimately frees Vesta. Through Charlie's life and death, the author illustrates the complicated nature of relationships, their liberating and entrapping dynamics.

Walter's Ashes

Walter's ashes symbolize the past. Though Vesta tells herself she will scatter her late husband's remains as soon as she settles into her new forested home, she holds onto them for over a year after her move. Her inability to let go of the ashes represents her inability to let go of the past. Once she empties the urn into Lake David in Chapter 4, Vesta resolves to make peace with the past, and find...