The Fish

Throughout the novel, Esther protects and cares for the goldfish she rescues from her church's festival. For the first half of the narrative, the fish seems representative of Esther's memory of her lost child. Her determination to safeguard the fish, while promising to let it go, parallels Esther's relationship with her past. Like the fish, she attempts to protect and preserve the memories of the baby she gave, ultimately struggling to release herself from her resulting sorrow. By the end of the novel, Esther finally sets the fish free, and with it, her grasp on her past. Naming the fish Esther in this final moment, demonstrates Esther's growth, her final ability to free herself from her former life.

The Cactus

The cactus planted outside Esther's new home in New Mexico represents what is ugly or societally unacceptable that cannot be hidden. When Esther tears out...