Samuel's Manuscript

Samuel's manuscript is symbolic of identity. Mamush finds the manuscript in his father's room at the halfway house after his death. Reading his father's story from his point of view offers Mamush insight into who his father was, how he saw the world, and the life he wished he could have lived.

Fake ID

Mamush's fake ID is symbolic of displacement. When Mamush is in college, he feels more comfortable associating with Christopher T. Williams, the name on his fake ID. Pretending to be Christopher offers Mamush a sense of grounding in reality he does not otherwise feel. His relationship with the ID thus enacts his ongoing sense of displacement and disorientation.

Chicago

Chicago symbolizes the past. Mamush ends up visiting the Illinois city before returning home to DC. He does so in an attempt to reconnect with his childhood hometown and to understand the...