Seeds and hope
The novel begins with the symbolic effort of King planting seeds in his yard. That is an effort to improve the future, which is symbolic. Sacrifice is what is depicted, because he cedes something to the chaotic dirt beneath his feet, hoping that nature and time will bring him some kind of reward eventually. That is the thematic question of his story, whether or not the universe will give him a hopeful future, or whether he is doomed to hopelessness and panic.
Illegal opportunity
The times that King breaks the law to make money are a motif that show that he is truly limited by his circumstances. He cannot find work, but meanwhile, the crime allows him constant access to money. Nonetheless, it makes him prone to make bad decisions, and it leads his wife to disapprove of him morally. He knows it is a compromise, but the motif includes a symbolic explanation for why he bends the rules, and breaks them. He cheats in gambling because he feels his life depends on it.
The abortion dilemma
King wants his wife to abort their baby, which is a sad symbol of his feelings of desperation. Because he cannot survive and thrive, because he resorts to criminal elements of life to make ends meet, he believes he is not a suitable parent. The symbolic dilemma about abortion is secretly a symbol for hopelessness, because children (like seeds) are a symbol for a new tomorrow, but King is convinced that the future will only bring pain and misery to his family.
Ruby and the jewelry motif
Ruby's name is part of a motif about jewelry that underscores the family's need for money. Elmore offers Tonya jewelry to return to him and leave King, which symbolizes the way money shapes their social dynamic. Although King's name suggests royalty, he has no jewelry to prove it. The crazed drifter introduces them to a job on a jewelry store, which they rob to little avail, symbolizing the insanity of crime, which often doesn't even help.
The parental symbolism
The symbolism of parents is strongly suggested by the plot. Elmore, King's rival and foil, kills his real father, which raises symbolic questions about who is really the title character—perhaps the child of his pregnancy with Tonya is the true King Hedley II. Leroy symbolizes the aspects of King's life that he also shares, like the willingness to cheat in games that are critical to survival. Ruby's mother is a symbol of his prize, suggesting an Oedipal issue.
