Symbol: Gun
Salva and the other people in the traveling group are struck by Uncle Jewiir's gun, which he received when he fought in the war. The gun symbolizes power, as it can both protect life and dole out death. The group recognizes this implicitly, as do others who encounter Jewiir (such as the fishermen who give him food without him having to ask, and the brigands who take his gun and kill him). Thus, he is made the leader of the group and takes responsibility for them.
Symbol: Smoke
When Salva exits his school, he sees a cloud of smoke in the distance from the place where gunshots are heard. After seeing the smoke, Salva decides to listen to his teacher and run away from his own village. The smoke is a symbol of danger and destruction, as well as the burning down of Salva's old world.
Motif: Tribal Unity and Identity
A common motif in the novel is the significance of tribal origin. Salva is a member of the Dinka tribe and when he flees from his village, he seeks refuge with other members from his community. Salva knows that other people from other tribes may refuse to help him even though he is just a small boy in need of help. This idea is highlighted through the fact that whenever Salva meets a new person, the first thing they do is to discern was the tribe they are a member of. Through this, they are trying to determine whether the person was worthy of being helped or not. At the end of the novel, Salva's choice to build a well for the Nuer people shows that he has evolved past this.
Symbol: The Thorn
Nya steps on a hard thorn on the way to the pond to fetch water. The thorn symbolizes the difficulty of her life: a thorn is the hard, sharp part of the rose, something that is painful for people if they are not careful. Nya and her family, as well as the others in the village, have a precarious existence in which they have to make sure that they are careful in all that they do. They are faced with tribal war, lack of water, illness, and more—all symbolized by the thorn.
Symbol: The Tree
Nya watches as two men arrive and start to scope out the area where she lives. She does not know, but this is Salva and an assistant looking for a place to dig a well. They decide to do so near a tree, which is a potent symbol of life, fecundity, vitality, and endurance.
