The Catholic Church
The Catholic Church is a symbol of moral authority in the novel. The church plays a significant role in ensuring that children are brought up according to religious teachings. For instance, France's provincial region where the narrator grows up is predominantly Catholic. The church dictates how girls should dress and behave. Men are required to be the heads of families, and all women are advised to remain submissive and loyal to their husbands.
The narrator
The narrator is a symbol of optimism. Despite being born into a low-income family, the narrator is optimistic that the future is bright. After the narrator gets married, she advocates for political activism and idealism, and she looks forward to being independent. While in her marriage, the narrator starts to yearn for independence and freedom because men suppress women. To achieve her goals, she divorces her husband to become independent. Later, the narrator discovers her full potential and becomes a professional writer.
The sexual freedom
Sexual freedom is symbolized by the introduction of the contraceptive pill in France in the 1960s. The pill allowed women to choose the number of children they wished to have. Initially, men decided the number of children women could give birth to, but the introduction of the pill was a breakthrough for women. According to the narrator, the introduction of the pill was a wonder during that time, and so it was a symbol of sexual freedom.
