The Road (Symbol)
After witnessing an upsetting indication of abuse at the convent, Furlong misses his turn on the drive home and ends up on a narrow road outside of town. When he stops to ask an old man for directions, the man says, "This road will take you wherever you want to go, son." The road symbolizes the difficult decisions Furlong will have to make regarding what he knows about the women at the convent. Here, Furlong begins to approach the moral crossroads that will dictate the novella's dramatic action. The man's statement implies that Furlong has some agency in this situation.
Reflections (Motif)
Throughout the novella, Furlong constantly notices reflections of himself and of the town that cause him to consider the deeper meanings of his life. Reflections, then, are both physical and symbolic. For example, when Furlong sees the town's lights reflected in the river in Chapter Five, he thinks about how things always look better from a distance. With this perspective, Furlong reflects on his upbringing and remembers the people who raised him. Their care and kindness reach across time to impact Furlong's decisions in the present.
Furlong decides that he cannot live with the hypocrisy of calling himself a Christian and not acting on Sarah's behalf. In order to face his reflection in the mirror, he defies the town's unspoken compliance with the religious institutions.
Donkeys (Symbol)
Donkeys appear in two different contexts in the novella. When the New Ross community members set up a nativity scene in the center of town, they include a donkey "standing guard over two sleeping ewes and the crib." Early Christian theologians believed that the donkey represented the Gentiles, or non-Jewish people. In general, though, biblical associations with the donkey include peace, humility, and servitude. For example, Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem to demonstrate his humility. These biblical associations matter in the context of the novella because the donkey appears, after all, in a Nativity scene.
In the final chapter, Sarah exhibits an affinity with the donkey. This surprises Furlong, who thought that Sarah would gravitate toward the figure of Baby Jesus considering that she was separated from her own son.
Donkeys appear again in a story that Ned once told Furlong. For some time, Ned had stolen hay from Mrs. Wilson's property to help a man feed his ailing donkey. After a surreal experience one night in which some kind of creature terrifies Ned, he stops stealing Mrs. Wilson's hay. Perhaps this story serves as an example of a moral gray area to Furlong, since Ned stole the hay for a good cause.
Christmas Tip (Symbol)
After Furlong discovers that Sarah spent the night locked in the convent's coal shed, the Mother Superior insists that he come inside for tea. In reality, she coerces Furlong inside in order to smooth over the situation and ensure that he won't take action against the convent. After making it clear that the nuns have the power to revoke the Furlong girls' right to study at St. Margaret's, the Mother Superior gives Furlong a Christmas tip. Although Eileen's comment in Chapter Six that the nuns "never let the year pass without sending down something" indicates that this tip is an annual tradition, this year it carries extra meaning. It symbolizes the nuns' power over their family.
Farm Jigsaw (Symbol)
During one Christmas in Furlong's childhood, he asked to receive "his daddy or else a jigsaw puzzle of a farm in five hundred pieces." Instead, he received a nailbrush, a bar of soap, a hot water bottle, and books. The jigsaw symbolizes Furlong's ideal childhood desires. Although he came to feel grateful for the gifts that he actually received, the jigsaw still remains in his adult consciousness. While looking in a shop in chapter seven, Furlong inquires to see if the shop carries the same jigsaw he wanted as a child. Perhaps he wishes to buy it in order to fulfill his childhood fantasy, but the shop doesn't have it. Instead, Furlong makes do yet again with what is in front of him.
