Anders' smile

Anders' smile is a symbol of the continuity of his core self after his skin color changes. It is initially noted that people in high school complimented Anders on his smile, declaring that it was "his best feature" (12), and that it resembled his mother's smile. Later, Oona observes Anders' smile and notices how it has changed since his skin color has changed, but how it still brings her comfort as "a smile that stood by itself and did not demand" (43). No matter how Anders has changed, he is still the same person to Oona.

Mars

The absence of Mars in the sky when Oona looks at the moon in Chapter 3 is a symbol of the state of confusion and turmoil Oona is experiencing after her brother's death and Anders' change. The narrator states that "not seeing Mars made her think of how frigid space was...