Yellow House

The yellow house is symbolic of the past. Although the novel spans three centuries, the narrative setting remains consistent. As time passes, the yellow house remains, evolving as the years go on. Meanwhile, the house absorbs and houses the specters of its past inhabitants. In these ways, the house is both a representation of and a container for the histories that define it.

North Woods

The north woods are symbolic of evolution. Like the yellow house, the north woods feature within every chapter of the novel and all of the characters' storylines. Although they are a consistent setting throughout the novel, the woods mutate over time. As the decades and centuries pass, birds disappear, trees die out, and the earth dries up.

Apples

Charles Osgood's apples are symbolic of promise. Much like the apple in the Biblical Garden of Eden myth, Charles's apples offer him...