False Map Turtles

The false map turtles that the Visitor sees at the zoo are symbolic of her innate feelings of alienation. The Visitor is feeling unsure of why she came to Berlin in the first place at the beginning of the novel. This is described as a "paralyzing vagueness" (6). She feels an affinity for the false map turtles because of their name, which evoke a sense of being lost. "We're all exiles here" (7), she notes.

Batteries

In "Kidnapped," batteries are used as a symbol of the strange good fortune that can come out of something seemingly bad, like an ironic twist of fate. Ernesto is kidnapped by Nazi soldiers, but while aboard their submarine, he studies the batteries that were responsible for its major functions. After he is returned to Cuba, Ernesto studies engineering and develops a new design for industrial batteries that makes him a...