The Sailor’s Skeleton
A major and perhaps the most overt symbol in the novel is the skeleton of some nameless mariner whom Anil comes to call, for lack of a better, more creative name “Sailor." His charred remains is proof—damning proof in fact—that he is a victim of state sponsored terrorism. Because of this Sailor/Sailor’s skeleton becomes a symbol of the atrocities endured by so many innocent lives during the Sri Lankan civil war of the1980’s. Conversely, Anil’s attempts to unearth his true identity is a symbolic act of trying to restore his dignity and, by extension, all the victims of state sponsored murders.
The Reconstructed Head of the Sailor
Anil hires a skilled sculptor, Ananda, to reconstruct Sailor’s flesh-and-blood features to shed some light on the mystery of his identity. Despite the brutality of Sailor’s death Ananda sculpts a serene, almost meditative expression upon the skull. The reconstructed features of Sailor are emblematic of Ananda’s desire for peace. Peace not just for his country but more importantly for his wife who had mysteriously disappeared, presumably under similar circumstances as Sailor. There is also an additional layer of symbolism and irony in the act of Ananda’s superimposition of a tranquil clay face over Sailor’s charred skull: though he wishes for peace, that peace is at best a cover-up as there is so much violence that plagues Sri Lanka.
Religious Effigies
There are a number of religious effigies from various faiths mentioned in the novel. These statues are symbolic of how people, both Sri Lankans and foreigners alike, viewed the horrors of the civil war. Like the stone monuments, many people responded to the cruelties inflicted upon many Sri Lankans with a callous disregard as if “seeing” through stone eyes and watching with a stone heart. The statues also symbolized the powerlessness of the common Sri Lankan citizen because like these stone relics, they too were powerless to defend themselves against vandals and desecrators.
The Pietà
Michelangelo’s piece is another symbolic allusion in the novel. It is symbolic of Anil’s deep desire to give a sense of justice to Sailor and vicariously, every nameless victim of the civil war. Anil identifies strongly with the image desiring to be a divinely appointed agent of justice for the victims treating the case with an almost maternal regard, being deeply grieved for the victims.
Birds
There are also several mentions of birds in the novel. Though the direct symbolic link cannot be clearly drawn one may surmise that like the religious effigies they too are a symbol of the powerlessness of the Sri Lankan people to defend themselves against the cruelties inflicted upon them. Although numerous, they, like the birds, can only make noise and can do little to change their plight.
