Hot Water Bottle (Symbol)
When Ricky first starts living with Bella and Hec, he is resistant to the idea of family, unable to believe that he will ever feel loved and cared for. However, when he finds a hot water bottle in his bed, which Bella left for him to keep him warm at night, he realizes that his new foster mother has his best interests in mind. The hot water bottle comes to symbolize the comfort and familial warmth that Ricky feels with the Faulkners. It is a symbol of home, family, and security.
The Bush (Symbol)
The wilderness, or the bush as it is referred to in the film, symbolizes freedom and introspection. In the beginning of the film, Bella tells Ricky that she feels called to the bush and teaches him some survival tricks. Then, when Hec and Ricky go on the run through the bush, they each find freedom and clarity by battling the elements and journeying through the wilderness. The bush is a wild place in which it is difficult to survive, but one Hec and Ricky learn to work with the elements rather than against them, they find a deep satisfaction in this harmony with nature. The bush symbolizes the beauty that exists outside of the bounds and restrictions of society, and a human's ability to work with the elements rather than against them.
Huia bird (Symbol)
In their journey through the bush, Hec and Ricky encounter the huia bird, a bird that is believed to be extinct. Their discovery of this bird represents the fact that they are in harmony with nature. While society has written off this bird as extinct, Hec and Ricky are able to find it by becoming one with their surroundings and listening to the bush, rather than seeking to conquer it. The bird represents harmony with nature and the wild.
Wandering (Motif)
A central motif in the film is the fact that Ricky and Hec are always wandering through the bush. Throughout, we see many montages of them trudging through forests and setting up camp. These scenes show us that time is passing, that the two of them are becoming bonded, and that they are each becoming better and better at surviving in the wild.
Haikus (Symbol)
One of Ricky's only coping mechanisms to deal with the difficulties of his life is to write haikus. He writes them throughout, and they help him express his feelings. By the end, he has also taught Hec, who has always been illiterate, to write his own haikus. The little poems represent the more heartfelt emotions that each of them are feeling, in contrast with their tough or performative exteriors. The haikus represent a connection to internal emotions.
