Light

Throughout the narrative, light represents possibility and hope. From the narrative's very earliest images to some of its very latest, light in a wide range of forms becomes a beacon to which China and other characters aim as they make their thematically significant journeys to new lives and new identities.

Water

Water, with its metaphoric associations with cleansing and the power to transform, is another symbolic element that appears throughout the narrative. Like light, the various strengths of water first appear in the narrative's earliest stages, as a powerful storm surge in a river symbolically washes away elements of China's past. In doing so, China becomes even freer to begin her journeys of transformation. Other forms of water such as rain or mist likewise represent and manifest the spirit of change in China's life and identity.

Dust and Sand

Dust and sand, in their evocation of...