Line for Bread
One of the first images invoked in the novel is that of regular people waiting in line for bread. The cellist sees them from his window and thinks about them, counting each one of them. Later, the people waiting in line for bread are all killed by a blast coming from one of the hills surrounding the city. The line of people is an important image because its memory makes the cellist to want to do something for the people instead of simply waiting and looking out of the window.
The City Then and Now
Galloway uses the characters' memories and musings to paint images of the city before the war. It was a thriving, vibrant place with culture and life; people went to work, ate at restaurants, strolled parks, went to the symphony, etc. He then contrasts such images with the city as it currently is—bombed out, desolate, ravaged, and gray. The discrepancies between the two showcase just how devastating the war has been on the physical landscape and how hard it will be to rebuild.
Fishing with Bread
When Kenan began his journey to get water, he passes by a man "fishing" with bread to catch pigeons. The image makes Kenan think about the soldiers sitting on the hills outside the city, and he compares those soldiers with the man, killing a few people every day, but not enough to scare the population from wanting to get out in the streets. This image shows the people in the city as mere animals, creatures the people on the hills enjoy shooting just for sport.
The Graves
Arrow remembers a funeral at which a shelling occurred, and when she stood up after having thrown herself to the ground she realized that the other attendees jumped into the graves to protect themselves. For Arrow (and the reader) this image is one of death; even though these people did not die at that moment, their deaths are seemingly imminent, and the men in the hills will hold sway. Arrow tells herself that since she did NOT jump into the grave she is taking control over when she dies (which holds up given her fate at the end of the novel).
