The Car Accident

The car accident in France symbolizes the link between different characters and their stories. The car accident in which Heloise's father and Barbie died is what connects Heloise and Delia, but it also represents the way that stories can morph and change depending on whose story it is. Angie told Heloise that the car hit a tree and that Clifford's lover died on impact. However, Heloise discovers at the end of the story that they hit a tractor-trailer and that Clifford's lover, Delia, survived while Barbie, her friend, was killed. The car accident represents a misinterpreted element of Heloise's past that has influenced her adult life.

Clifford's Book

Clifford's book, "The Rites of Passage in Contemporary Capitalist Societies," symbolizes Heloise's attempt at connecting with her father. Her mother, Angie, dismisses the scholarship her father produced and tells Heloise that she can take as many...