Yellow Trees
The novella opens with the image of strong November winds stripping yellow trees bare. This not only gives the wind an active and somewhat violent quality, but it also carries symbolic resonance. The cold and wet winter brings discomfort and misery to the lives of the townspeople, and winter is traditionally associated with death. Yellow (a color that often indicates optimism) disappears as a result of the winter winds. Likewise, people in the town do what they need to do in order to survive poverty and harsh times.
Cherry Blossoms Outside Mrs. Wilson's Hospital Room
In Furlong's memory of the scene outside Mrs. Wilson's hospital room, he describes the image of "a blustery afternoon in April." He goes on to say that "beyond the wide, clear panes, a blizzard of white blossom was being torn and blown off the roused-up cherry trees." This image parallels the image of November winds that strip the yellow trees at the beginning of the novella. In both images, Keegan portrays nature as merciless; the trees grow beautiful flowers only for the strong winds to strip them bare.
The Convent Walls
When Furlong makes a coal delivery to the convent in Chapter Four, he notices that "the high wall separating the convent from St. Margaret's next door was topped with broken glass." This sinister image transforms the convent's beautiful exterior into a prison-like setting. Its proximity to St. Margaret's (the school that Furlong's daughters attend) highlights the different ways that girls are treated depending on which side of the wall they are on. Furlong's empathy causes him to imagine his daughters experiencing brutality inside the convent.
Furlong's interaction with a girl who asks him to help her escape further contributes to his unease. The broken glass was clearly placed on top of the walls to prevent the girls from attempting to escape. The extreme height, then, is not enough to deter a desperate girl from trying to climb. The nuns keep the girls locked in the convent in order to profit off their labor.
Nativity Scene on Christmas Eve
On their way home after Furlong helps Sarah escape the coal shed, they pass the completed Nativity scene. In the Christian tradition, the Nativity scene is an artistic exhibition depicting the birth of Jesus Christ. They are often displayed close to Christmas, and the fact that the town of New Ross presents their public Nativity scene in front of the town hall shows that this community is predominantly Christian.
The first time the Nativity scene appeared in the novella was during a night out that Furlong enjoyed with his family. Since Furlong had last seen it, someone "had placed the figures of the wise men and the Baby Jesus there." Returning to this scene with Sarah evokes a sense of closure because Furlong addresses the anxieties that plagued him the first time around. Just as the Nativity scene now appears complete with all the figures present, Furlong is able to align his values and actions in a way that corresponds with his Christian identity.
Ned's Encounter With an Inhuman Thing
In Chapter Six, Furlong remembers Ned once recounting an uncanny experience he'd had. When another farmhand asked Ned to provide some hay for his starving donkey, Ned stole some of Mrs. Wilson's hay under the cover of darkness. However, one night, as Ned "was going down the lane, something that wasn’t human, an ugly thing with no hands came out of the ditch, and blocked" him. This strange and ultimately unexplained image contributes to an underlying sense of the uncanny.
