Death
Love is death, the city is death, life is death, death is unknown but certain, death is a relief and many more descriptions of death are present in the novel. The motif of death is present throughout to strengthen the theme of human existential crisis and most, if not all characters, especially Thivai, are walking a thin line between life and death.
Color
The motif of color is present throughout as well; especially the color of blood and human waste which further emphasize the human but also the deterioration of the world around. Also worth mentioning are the colors on Agone's tattoo and the meaning the writer gives to them. First color is the color of blood which represents pain but also life and makes the ship on the tattoo move. The second color is brown and represents human waste and death and the last color is blue which represents that which is inhuman.
Rose
The rose in the novel is a symbol of female genitalia. Sexually explicit language is present throughout the novel and it is mostly used in a derogatory way and the phrasing of a scented and opening rose is often used according to that.
