Dust

Dust covered the landscape of rural Saskatchewan to the point that it became an ever present entity. The dust symbolizes the flatness of life in this area where life was an unending cycle of work and death. Dust is lifeless; nothing grows in it, just like the people in the rural area struggled to find full lives. The dust eventually gets the better of everyone who lives there. It ends the teaching career of Mr. Lancaster whose vocal chords were severely impacted by it. It is almost as if living in this barren area had rendered him incapable of knowing anything else to share.

Water

Water is an important symbol in literature, and it often represents baptism, new life, and freedom. The scope of the water can also be important in understanding its symbolism. For example, the ocean that Etta longs to see is huge and...