Davis' Iron Man is a symbol that represents him
The iron man is a toy that is made of iron; it seems strong but it is broken. Davis loves it so much that he kept it to his adulthood. The iron man represents him because, similarly to the iron man, Davis is perceived as strong and powerful by other people because his father is rich. The truth of the matter is that he is just as powerless as the workers in his home because his father values his tuatara more than he does his children. His father left his entire fortune to his pet lizard instead of his two sons.
Symbolism of life by a painter and a canvas
In the first chapter of the novel, Aza says that in life you think you make your own decisions but rather your life has been mapped out for you to live by destiny. She says,’...you think that you are the painter but you are the canvas.’’ In this statement, the painter represents God or any deity who maps out your life and the canvas symbolizes life.
Aza’s callus is a symbol of her anxiety condition
Aza has a condition whereby she bites her skin off all the time on her thumb. She does this when she is anxious all the time. The spot where she bites has developed a callus so that when other people see it or she does, it reminds her of her anxiety.
Allegory of how Davis’ father escaped
In the second chapter, as Aza is crossing the river with her friend Daisy, she sees a turtle. When the turtle sees her, it submerges into the water. This is an allegory about the escape of Davis’ father, Russell Picket. He escaped after it was revealed that he was engaged in bribery and fraud. The police were looking for him and had placed a bounty on him.
Symbol of wealth and poverty
In the novel, certain material things symbolize material wealth such as the fact that the Russell Pickett Mansion that had stone gabled walls. The mansion was so huge that it had a rescue center for a tuatara. Aza’s home on the other hand, was on the other side of the river that did not boast of such lavishness as stone gabled walls. In fact, Aza continues to mention that when it rained, the walls of the mansion would force water on the side where the poor people lived and thus cause flooding.
