Nadia’s Record Player

Nadia’s record player is a potent symbol of her individuality within a regime that insists she conform and a symbol of her connection to other parts of the world. When Nadia first plays a record for Saeed, she selects an album by a classic American soul singer. Listening to music allows Nadia to connect with her own soul and to overcome the loneliness and isolation she feels in her city. Selecting different records is also an opportunity for Nadia to express and assert herself.

Weed and Psychedelics

The weed and psychedelic mushrooms that Nadia and Saeed use at various points in the novel are symbols of their desire to find solace in their war-torn city. Because their happiest memories center around late nights smoking joints together, these mind-altering substances also function as nostalgic symbols of their relationship and close connection. In Marin...