Cosmic Calendar

The cosmic calendar is symbolic of order and structure. Anna creates the calendar so that she can teach Grace the history of the universe, from the Big Bang on. Over the course of the year, Grace becomes increasingly reliant upon the calendar for a sense of stability and predictability. The worse her mother's manic-depressive episodes become, the more often Grace makes reference to the calendar on the page.

Lake

The lake is symbolic of the afterlife. Throughout the novel, Grace and Anna visit the lake every day, no matter how cold or dark it may be. Anna is particularly attached to the lake, and to water in general, even suggesting that she was once a fish. Ultimately, Anna drowns herself in the lake using stones, which she believes are the last things that will remain following human extinction.

Lake Monster

The monster Anna says lives...