Coffee

Coffee is symbolic of the growing emotional bond between Mark and Heather during Heather’s adolescence as well as Karen’s jealousy of their closeness and desire to intrude. Mark and Heather have coffee together in the mornings, marking the only time they get to spend together without Karen. Under the guise of generosity, Karen buys Mark an expensive coffee machine for Christmas before revealing that only she is able to work it and will be making Mark and Heather’s coffee for them in the mornings from now on.

Running

Mark’s running is symbolic of the disconnection between his body and his mind. Frequently in the novel, Mark discovers that his body has done something long before his mind has consciously understood the meaning of his actions. This first occurs when he observes the worker staring at Heather for the first time and finds...