Photograph

The photograph Lila has of her family before Dan left symbolizes the degree to which she is still tied to him. She has not gotten rid of the photo when the novel opens even though Dan is gone. She is still, at this point, tied to the past and what she always wanted her life to be. She feels everyone is moving on around her, but she, herself, has yet to move on, and part of this reason is because she is still attached to the past. She will not be able to move on and create a new life for herself while she is still angry over the life she lost.

Mercedes

Lila’s Mercedes symbolizes the ways in which appearances do not always speak the truth. Plumbers and other professionals often upcharge Lila once they see her car because they assume she is a...