The Midnight Library (Symbol)
The library functions as a symbol of Nora's parallel lives. Each book contains a life that Nora could have led if she made different decisions. Some of these books detail more distant lives, like the one where she is a rock star or a glaciologist. But others involve only slight alterations in her life, like the one where she keeps her cat indoors. In both cases, the books are a physical representation of how many unique lives she could have as a result of each choice she makes, however big or small.
Chessboard (Symbol)
The chessboard works as a symbol in the novel of possibility. Early in the book, Mrs. Elm remarks on how every piece on the chessboard has the potential to make a game-changing move. She says this is particularly true of the pawn which, if it is able to make it to the last row on the opposing side of the board, can become a queen. Mrs. Elm mentions this to show Nora how much possibility is contained in each of her choices. Like the pieces on the board, she has the power to dramatically alter her circumstances.
Swimming (Symbol)
Swimming symbolizes Nora's strained relationship with her father. As a child, Nora initially held onto the sport of a swimming in an attempt to earn her father's love and approval. In her root life, she eventually quits swimming, much to her father's disappointment. However, she finds that in the life where she sticks with swimming as a career path, becoming an Olympic gold medalist, she isn't very happy and her relationship with her father remains strained, as he left their mother for another woman. In this way, swimming is symbolic of how Nora cannot live an entire life trying to please her father.
Kindness (Motif)
Kindness appears as a recurring motif throughout the novel. In the life where she works at an animal shelter, Nora is in a relationship with a man named Dylan who is very kind to the dogs they work with and the dogs they have at home. While she decides this is probably not the life for her, she admires Dylan's gentleness and it leads her to reconsider the value of this quality in a partner. This revelation is part of what leads her to envision a life with Ash and eventually travel to the "perfect" life.
Movie Posters (Symbol)
In various lives, Nora keeps encountering posters advertising Last Chance Saloon, a movie franchise starring fictional actor Ryan Bailey. In these instances, the posters appear as a sign of Ryan's glamor and allure. However, in her life as a rock star, Nora finds out that Ryan is actually quite vapid and dull. The posters function as a symbol of false promise, as his appeal from a distance does not actually translate into anything significant in person.
