Ringing
In the first chapter, Joe hears telephones ringing and every time he links the sound with an unpleasant memory or with the painful present. In fact, the novel starts with Joe hearing a sound that resembles the ringing of a telephone and it is then when he realizes that he is badly wounded. He also links the telephone ringing with the memory of his father’s death. Because of this, it is safe to assume that the ringing of the telephone is a symbol for misfortune and suffering.
Sensations
For Joe, what triggers his memories of his past are the sensations he has that are ultimately linked with a similar experience in his past. For example, the feeling of something being stuck in his arms makes him remember his girlfriend and the last moments they spent together before he went to war. This becomes a recurrent motif in the novel and many flashbacks are triggered by what Joe feels in the present.
Pattern
What can be noticed in this novel is a pattern involving Joe’s memories that can also be considered as being a motif. The chapter usually begins with Joe realizing that he has a new wound or that he lost a limb he didn’t knew he had. Then, a memory follows triggered by some physical sensation in the real world. The memory then reveals something about Joe and his life and it makes him seem more optimistic. Then, the memory ends and Joe wakes up to realize that he is still in his hospital bed but he maintains his optimism and is calmer than he was in the beginning of the novel. This pattern is maintained for many consecutive chapters and it offers the framework for the action that happens inside Joe’s head.
Rat
Joe remembers a dead soldier on the battlefield whose face was being eaten by a rat. Seeing this, the soldiers began to hit the rat, as if it was the enemy. The rat here has a symbolic meaning as well. The rat lives off death and the horrors of war without being affected directly by it and without having to be an active participant. The rat symbolizes the people who profited out of war, the people that were not connected with the countries involved in the war and who never saw the battlefield. Despite this, they were the ones that got rich during the time when the rest of the world suffered.
Medal
At one point, after years of just lying in bed, Joe receives a medal for his service in war. The medal is for many a symbol for courage and it represents the state’s acknowledgement of a person’s actions. But for Joe, the medal means the complete opposite. He feels cheated and humiliated to receive something that symbolizes his participation in war. The medal is a reminder that those who serve in war receive nothing more from their country than a pat on the back and a little piece of metal with a symbolic value. Instead of bringing him some peace of mind, the medal only accentuates Joe’s pain.
