The Minutes

The minutes that August records over the course of the women's meetings symbolize meaning and purpose, an avenue to rejuvenation and change. Though August initially believes in the utility of his recordings, he later realizes that Ona only asked him to take the notes as a means of proving his value. Instead of committing suicide as planned, August attaches himself to the importance of the minutes, believing he is granting the women the voices they have never had. Though the end of the novel reveals the true purposeless of the documents, the papers succeed in creating an avenue towards a newly imagined life for both the women of Molotschna and August as an individual.

The Hayloft

The hayloft in which the women hold their meetings symbolizes the tenuous nature of safety. Though the loft grants the women an enclosure in which they can discuss their...