Cars

Cars symbolize freedom and financial security. This starts with the way that both main characters move to university. Molly drives there because her family is financially and emotionally, stable. This gives her the monetary freedom to drive around where she wants. Alex must take a bus from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. When she has to go back to Philadelphia to bail her mother out of jail, she cannot go on her own. Instead, Jim drives her back. Jim is able to do this because he has financial security, thanks to his small business. He is only able to run this business after freeing himself from his alcoholism.

Books

Books represent peace to the characters in the novel. Fiction books are Alex’s only refuge from the chaos of her life. Because of this, Alex is an avid reader. Molly is getting her degree in English, a subject...