Bus

The bus in the novel symbolizes the liminal space between worlds. For Maju and Cora, it represents movement away from the safety and predictability of home and also the precariousness of Maju’s choices: missed buses, delays, and full vehicles demonstrate the instability of her plan.

The bus symbolizes Maju and Cora’s journey into a new life, a vehicle carrying them away from familiar routines and into an uncertain future. It represents transition, possibility, and the threshold between the old and the new, as well as the fragile control Maju has over the path she has chosen. Each interaction with another passenger, missed bus, or delay heightens the precariousness of their venture, reminding the reader that this “new life” is not fully secure.

Bibi

Bibi, Cora’s stuffed toy sheep, symbolizes her attachment to her old life and the security of home. It functions as...