Fire
Fire is mentioned in several stories in The Turning by Tim Winton to symbolize doom. For instance, in the story "Damaged Goods," Alison writes a poem about the fire. The poem features two young girls languishing in flames. The fire in the poem prefigures Alison’s death by fire. In the story “Cockleshell," Agnes’ home is destroyed by the fire, and her father burns to death. Finally yet importantly, in “Big World,” the narrator notices a kite with a burning tail in the air, which predicts her downfall. Consequently, the fire throughout the book symbolizes disaster.
The beach
In the short story "The Turning," the beach symbolizes the different phases of life. The graduation parties in Angelus take place on the beach, marking the turning point of the high school graduates' lives from one phase to another. After celebrating their education success, the graduates start looking forward to college life.
The open sky
In "Fog," the open sky emblems a sense of opportunity for Bob to leave Angelus. Bob realizes that he is trapped in alcohol and a toxic work environment. The fellow police officers are corrupt and incompetent. In addition, Bob drinks alcohol excessively, which results in a breakup with his wife and family. Therefore, Bob decides to leave Angelus and try living elsewhere.
