England
England is depicted as a cold and dark place, which represents Anna's emotional and psychological state. She has come from somewhere familiar, and has arrived in the unknown, which is "dark". As such, the title of the novel is clearly associated cold and dark image of England. Anna repeatedly complains about the coldness in England and says that every street looks the same. This represents how alienated, lonely and miserable Anna feels, and suggests something about how mundane and monotonous her life is in England.
The Caribbean
Anna is from the Caribbean and describes her home as being colorful and warm. For Anna, the Caribbean represents comfort and familiarity, which is contrasted greatly with her descriptions of England. Anna's caretaker Francine is often referred to, and her qualities of being warm, friendly and positive are emphasized. The Caribbean was a place where Anna felt true emotional warmth and happiness.
Anna's descriptions of the Caribbean are often dreamlike, and in the form of an interior monologue or flashbacks. This disrupts the narrative, representing how her thoughts of home intrude her life in England.
Corruption
The imagery of corruption is seen throughout Voyage in the Dark. This is first seen when Walter takes Anna out to dinner at a restaurant. She soon realizes that there is a bedroom connected to the dining area. The bedroom is described as seedy and squalid, which represents how unromantic Walter’s intentions are.
Some imagery of corruption is also apparent later in the text, when Anna takes a job at brothel disguised as a nail salon. Here, Anna is encouraged to work as a prostitute, and describes her surroundings as being sordid and dark, which represents her feelings of shame.
Clothes
In the text, clothes represent Anna's financial situation. When Walter gives her money, Anna goes out and buys some new clothes, and feels better about herself. When Walter leave her, she is forced to sell her clothes, showing her desperation and poverty. Later, Maudie borrows some money from Anna to buy clothes for herself. She says that she needs to buy money for a date, because otherwise he won't marry her.
Maudie tells Anna that one man said to her: “It's funny, he said, have you ever thought that a girl's clothes cost more than the girl inside them?" This quote shows his complete disrespect for women, in suggesting that they have less value than an object.
