Bullet

The bullet Orvil carries in his body after the shooting is symbolic of generational trauma. The wound makes Orvil feel as if something from the past has entered and infected him. The image of the bullet echoes back to previous images of bullets from Part One, and thus underscores the connection between the characters' temporal realms.

Birds

Throughout the novel, repeating images of birds symbolize freedom. The characters often pay attention to birds in their surroundings, as they envy the creatures' capacity for flight. Indeed, all of the primary characters crave liberation and autonomy.

Carlisle Indian Industrial School

The Carlisle Indian Industrial school to which Jude is taken in Part One is symbolic of erasure. While at the school, Jude is taught that his cultural and ethnic origins are uncivilized and savage. The school robs him of his identity and detaches him from his ancestral origins...