King Philip's Bridge (Symbol)
After the sweeping introduction to East Gladness, the narrator hones in on King Philip's Bridge, where Hai prepares to commit suicide. As stated in the text, this is a "freighter bridge named for the Wampanoag chief who led a rebellion here to take back his land from Puritans" (Chapter 1). The purpose of constructing this bridge was to attract passenger trains and money into the town, but it failed. At once symbolizing an ending and a connection, this bridge is the site of a dark contrast. The regal name does not reveal the entire brutal truth of what happened to its namesake.
HomeMarket (Symbol)
When Hai first describes HomeMarket, it symbolizes an elevated social status. He remarks that "[a]s far as franchises go, the HomeMarket was a coveted place to work" despite the reality that employees are still paid minimum wage (Chapter 3). The franchise is marketed as a home away from home for patrons. As BJ states, "[w]hen people come in here, we give them the sensation of home" (Chapter 4). The longer Hai works at HomeMarket, the more he sees through its false symbolism.
Grazina's Owls (Symbol)
Grazina's owl collection symbolizes her individuality and personal history. They anchor her to herself, and the loss of her owls when she is hospitalized represents her loss of dignity. Owls themselves symbolize wisdom, mystery, and intuition. They seem to guide Grazina through her distressing flashbacks.
Minh's Diamond (Symbol)
Sony embarks on a quest to recover the lost diamond he believes was embedded in his father's hand. His father invented this diamond to shroud his service in the myth of heroism as well as to indicate his own hidden value. Originally, he fabricated this personal myth to ward off bullies from harassing his son (Chapter 15).
Disappearance (Motif)
Disappearance (both physical and psychological) is a motif that appears throughout The Emperor of Gladness. The novel concerns individuals who are disregarded, forgotten, or marginalized from mainstream American society. Years before the events in the novel, a local girl was horrifically murdered in East Gladness. The crime's proximity to the HomeMarket location where Hai works haunts the crew to this day. Another instance of physical disappearance occurs when Russia shares a story his father told him about a man from his village who went out one night to purchase cigarettes and was never seen again. Towards the end of the book, Grazina is taken to a nursing home, and Hai sees this as forced entry into institutionalized care.
Dementia-induced memory loss causes Grazina to lose her sense of self, disappearing into her own history. For Hai, trauma and addiction corrode his well-being until, at the end of the book, he throws himself away in a dumpster.
