Rooster
When Codi arrives at her friends place, she sees her and her children killing a rooster. The image of the killed roster brings back memories from Codi’s childhood and her time spend with her sister. The image of the killed rooster is important for Codi because she associated that memory with the fact that her sister was scared. For Codi, her sister is the epitome of bravery and the image of her being scared remind Codi that despite the appearances, Hallie is still human and she fears certain things as well just as anybody else.
In touch with nature
When Codi visits Loyd’ s village, she is amazed to see how in village blends perfectly with the surrounding nature. At first, Codi is unable to distinguish between the nature and the village and she is also impressed by the way the villagers try to consume as little as they can. The image of the village is an idyllic one and creates a sharp contrast between the modern world focused on consumption and profit and the native village that tries to disturb nature as little as possible.
Stich and Bitch
The Stich and Bitch club is a women’s club in Grace that tried to save Grace and to stop Black Mountain from continuing to throw toxic waste into the river. The club is portrayed as being almost a governing body, similar to the town meeting taking place in Grace. The image of Grace as a governing body only grows as the novel progresses and as the characters become more accustomed with the legal procedures and the laws that can help them save Grace and stop Black Mountain.
Family
When Codi comes back to Grace, she sees herself as an outsider, someone who could never fit in but as time passes and she becomes to feel more accepted into the community, she begins to associate Grace with Hallie and with the idea of family. This idea becomes predominant in the novel and also the imagery of Grace as being of family. Because of this association, Codi is unable to remain in Grace after she learns about her sister’s death. For Codi, Grace will always represent family and she staying there only reminds her that she has no real family.
