The symbol of the widowed
Since we don't get very many actual details about Barnadette Morrissey, the reader should wonder about the meaning of the novel's inclusion of her. The most important feature of her character is that she is a widower, so she is a symbolic character, because she has a real life experience of severe loss and a horrifying encounter with real human death. She symbolizes the reality of death in her social world.
The symbolism of the harvesting
A grim reaper is a harvester who comes to "harvest" humans, which is a symbol that the Mexican gangs play in this story. In the daily life of Mexico, things seem to be paradise, but secretly, the crime lords are kidnapping people and stealing their organs to sell on the black market. Involuntary organ donors, one might call them. Another way of looking at this is as another picture of death, an image suggesting that all human deaths are sacrifices.
Fleur
Because of her name, which means "Flower," and because her story involves surviving the winter, Fleur is kind of like Persephone from Greek folklore. She represents survival through the trials of the cold, brutal winter, and in light of her floral quality, the reader can suppose that she represents the delicate balance of mental health, which is tried by nature.
The self harm
The self harm is clearly a symbol that, although the book is religious, the book is ultimately designed to point out deluded points of view about God. Consider the Catholic missionaries who are condescending and dismissive about other points of view, and then consider the most religious character, Pauline. She says God talks to her, but then she self harms in God's name, which is a symbolic reminder that whatever God really is, we should probably practice self love instead of masochism.
The relationships
The relationships between the characters are highlighted by the novelist, to bring awareness to the sublime nature of human friendship and relationship. Silently, although humans talk their way through everything, there is another current that is plainly evident. In this book, characters are clearly fated, and they encounter each other during seasons of their fates. These are offered as a kind of intellectual art, to suggest that the networking of human society is a beautiful part of nature.
