Socks

In "Extra," the socks that Kang steals betray his need of a female figure in his life. After being taken from his mother and placed in Mei-Mei Academy, Kang grows attached to Granny Lin but is still grieving his separation from his mother. To Granny Lin, the socks she keeps after her dismissal from Mei-Mei Academy symbolize a memory of her relationship with Kang: the only loving relationship she feels she has ever experienced.

Stockbrokerage

The stockbrokerage in "After a Life" emphasizes the role of probability and luck within the story. Market economies are notoriously fickle and, as Mr. Su learns, difficult to predict with even the most educated of investments. Although probabilities generally offer a chance at both positive and negative outcomes, "After a Life" highlights this volatility by frequently describing the probabilities of the Sus having a child with disabilities, of Beibei being discovered...