Franka's father's old revolver

Franka's father's old revolver symbolizes Franka's despair at the beginning of the novel. Both her lover Hans and her brother Friedi are dead and she feels utterly without hope. Franka wanders into the Black Forest in order to use her father's revolver to commit suicide. The revolver is a symbol of how even those who are brave and resisting oppression from tyrannical forces can succumb to their darkest impulses when all hope seems lost.

The cuckoo clock

The cuckoo clock in Franka's cabin symbolizes her love and anguish for her dead brother Friedi. Before his death, Friedi loved the cuckoo clock and every time that Franka looks at it, she is reminded of her brother. Thus, the cuckoo clock is both a source of great sorrow and great strength for Franka, as she soldiers on in order to honor her brother's memory and...