Plants

Plants symbolize both natural growth and the strength and intelligence of the natural world. Jen’s narrator describes how Gwen and Ondi used to lie on the ground, pretending to grow toward the sun. Later, when Ondi first returns to the family’s backyard after playing unhacked, she asks how sunflowers know how to grow upright, drawing a parallel to morality. The characters frequently invoke the inherent resilience of plants as a juxtaposition to the engineered world of automation.

Geese

Geese symbolize disruption and protection. Early in the novel, the narrator describes the neighborhood where he lives being overrun by Canadian geese who patrol their walkways. Scenes in which the family encounters a potential threat are often interrupted by the animal’s loud honking. Geese are migratory birds who mostly remain with their flocks which parallels the family’s immigrant ancestry and their close family bonds...