Branch

The branch that appears early in the memoir serves as a symbol of Deraniyagala’s desire to live. She grabbed this branch to keep herself from being pulled out to the ocean during the tsunami. At this point Deraniyagala wanted to live because she believed that her children might have survived the wave and would need her.

Malli’s Birthmark

Malli’s birthmark is a symbol representing Malli. When Deraniyagala was asked if a child in the ambulance was hers, she knew it was not Malli when she was that he did have this birthmark.

Purple Bruises

The purple bruises the Deraniyagala incurred on her face after the wave are symbols that the trauma that Deraniyagala suffered in the tsunami was real.

Door Mat

The black mat that Deraniyagala found in her parents’ house stands in the memoir as a symbol that her family was actually...