The green road

The green road symbolizes the importance of Ireland for the siblings. The green road serves as the title of the story and the setting for Rosaleen's misadventure on Christmas Eve. The road runs along the Burren and the wild Atlantic way, picturesque parts of Ireland that appear on travel brochures and in movies. These are iconic parts of the Irish countryside, and the road in this novel both anchors the family to Ireland and represents the mythology of the country itself.

The chicken killed for Easter dinner

The chicken killed for Easter dinner symbolizes a profane version of the Easter sacrifice and the family's tangential relationship to religion. When the chicken is killed, Hannah feels shame, and when she sees it the next time it is roasted on the table, not resurrected. The chicken is one of the first indications that the novel will...