A railroad yard (symbol)
The railroad yard is a symbol of endless motion, a life itself and, what is more important, acceptance, for there is a place for everyone. The lazy man like “a steady soothing world of motion” of the railway yard while natures “that like to feel emotion” enjoy excitement. Everything is “busy there, working”, it is impossible to forget that wild energy of that place. Not to mention that no one questioned each other’s right to be there.
A stray dog (allegory)
A stray dog is allegory which stands for uncertainty. The good Anna has a lot in common with her stray ones. She keeps them until she finds “them home” and then parts with them. So does she with the people she works for. She stays with them working as “a servant” and then, when they move to a different place or something important happens in their lives which requires a lot of changes, Ann starts looking for a new place. She can’t predict for how long she is going to works for this or that person.
Finding a purpose of one’s life (motif)
All three women described in this book live unhappy lives. The good Anna and Melanctha at least tried to find a purpose of it, for they both “wanted badly” to fulfill their potential and always did what they thought was right even if it was going to bring them more suffering than happiness. Unlike the good Anna and Melanctha, Lena had never felt “strong passion” and simply accepted all things that happened to her. However, her approach proved to be as unsuccessful as the good Anna and Melanctha’s.
