Water (Motif)
Throughout the film, we see many images of water, whether it is a pond reflecting the children running after the candy man, or Sarbajaya pulling the bucket out of the well, or the image of Durga standing in the rain as the monsoon begins. Water is part of the rhythm of life, at once essential, beautiful, and dangerous. Water has the power to cleanse and nourish, but it also is what ends up giving Durga the fever that kills her.
Additionally, after Durga has died, Apu finds the necklace that she denied stealing and throws it into a pond, watching as it gets swallowed up by the watery depths. Water in the film has a great deal of power, and can consume and cover up as well as cleanse.
Fruit (Motif)
Throughout the film, Durga steals fruit from the neighboring orchard and always brings it to her Auntie, Indir, who depply appreciates it. The fruit is a symbol of the connection between Durga and her Auntie and the love and respect that they have for one another. It also represents their poverty, the fact that they do not have enough to eat and must seek out food wherever they can find it. Fruit represents nourishment and providing for one another.
Necklace (Symbol)
After a necklace belonging to a wealthy friend of Durga's goes missing, the mean aunt confronts Sarbajaya, accusing Durga of stealing it. Durga denies it, and Sarbajaya believes her, even though she is angry with her daughter. The viewer goes through the film believing that Durga was not responsible for the theft. However, at the end, after she has died of a fever, Apu finds the necklace in the house, proving that she did in fact steal it. As his eyes widen, Apu takes the necklace and throws it into the pond nearby. The necklace represents a secret that Durga has kept to herself throughout the film, and when Apu eliminates any trace of its theft, it represents his loyalty to his sister, even after death.
Train (Symbol)
Before they have even seen the train, Apu hears the train's whistle and he begins to think about it and dream of seeing it. The whistle and the promise of seeing a train, a modern innovation, represents Apu's sense of adventure. Then, later on in the film, Apu and Durga see the train passing by through a large and uninhabited field, leaving plumes of black smoke in its trail. The train represents the modernizing world and industrialization, specifically as it contrasts with the more natural existence of the family. They live close to nature, in part because of poverty and in part because of custom and culture. The train represents the possibility but also the menace of the modern world, and the ways that the family is getting left behind by the world.
Stories and Songs (Motif)
Throughout the film, stories, song, and imagination play a prominent role in the lives of the characters. Harihar is an educated man, who has trained to be a writer and a scholar. His dream is to become a playwright and poet and write original stories that bring him acclaim. In this instance, stories represent Hari's hope of delivering his family from poverty by using his imagination and gift for storytelling to bring him praise and recognition.
Stories also play a role in the narrative when a traveling theater troupe comes to town. We see that Apu is especially taken by the performance, a dramatic display involving a warrior and a Serpent King. Additionally, Indir often sings as a way of passing the time, and tells Durga a story about an ogress. Stories and storytelling become a way for the family members to imagine a different world, to escape from the doldrums of poverty, and to understand the world around them in fuller ways.
