Hooked Second Toe

Eleanor’s long, hooked second toe is a symbol of her inheritance as well as the monster that lives within everyone. This distinctive toe is the result of the Icemen genes in Eleanor’s blood. Eleanor notes early in the novel that she inherited her feet from her grandfather, who is also a descendant of the Icemen. Eleanor’s strange toe is a symbol of the monster within when Justine and Pierre discover that she has this trait of the Iceman. Even though Justine and Pierre treated Eleanor like a person before they looked at her feet, the begin treating her like an animal, or a specimen. They tie her up and call Ludwig to investigate her. They hope to earn a reward for finding her as if she is a thing that can be bought and sold. In this case, it is Justine...