Pedophilia
The main character of the novel is surprised to discover what his wife has suspected all along, that he is sexually attracted to his first-born daughter, even from a disturbingly young age. Having ignored this latent aspect of his sexuality, he is surprised and horrified and reacts in a startled fashion. The wife admits that he always leaned this way, having married and impregnated her when she was only thirteen years old. The predatory aspect of pedophilia is a symbol in this novel for a kind of weakness in James. Perhaps it is related to self-esteem.
The cross-cultural marriage
The marriage is offensive to Materia Mahmoud's parents on grounds other than her age. As conservative Lebanese folks, they want a husband for their daught from their own culture and religion. The interplay between European Christian culture and Lebanese Islamic culture continues to send ripples into the novel. Frances even tries to baptize James's grandchildren, showing that religion and family can be a tricky matter, especially with clever and passive-aggressive families.
The dead child pair
When James's beloved daughter dies in childbirth, that is the death of his prime desire. He takes some solace in her children, a pair who (because of their gender—they are one male and one female) represent the hope for the family's future. They die in a tragic accident, the boy from an accident relating to his attempted baptism, and the girl from the tainted baptismal water which gave her polio. The question of death is a reminder of this family's fateful dysfunction.
The misadventure of baptism
The fact that baptism kills his only grandchildren is a striking use of symbolism. A symbol suggesting eternal life and rebirth is paired with literal death and illness. This symbol deserves to be interpreted in a wide variety of ways, from the concrete to the abstract. Frances's attempt to perform a religious rite without the support of the family is clearly connected to the failure of that ritual, and the whole event leaves the Mahmoud side of the family with dark sentiments about the "other" faith. In reality, the problem is "tainted waters," as the granddaughter's polio suggests.
The quest for self
When James realizes that he is sexually attracted to his own daughter, he sends himself on a quest to discover something within himself that might help him. Or at least, he hopes to put distance between him and his daughter, sensing an urge to harm her. The desire doesn't abate when he comes home, so he sends her away on a similar journey, passing the buck, some might say. The symbolic relationship between a journey away from and back toward home is well-trodden literary territory. Journeys are often symbols for internal transformation.
