The Ghost
The Ghost is highly significant to the narrative track of Elliott. He appears as an Iraqi to the PTSD-suffering veteran of the invasion of Iraq following 9/11 and haunts Elliott by repeating just one line in Arabic which translates to “Can I please have my passport back?” The complex nature of the Ghost makes him a tangible—somewhat, at least—symbol of that trauma which has followed Elliott back home and refuses to cut him free.
Spoonful of Water
The title has a literal manifestation: Odessa followed the directive to give her young children a spoonful of water ritualistically timed in other to stem off the stomach flu, but ultimately cannot keep to the task because her drug addiction exerts too strong a pull. The result is the literal death of one child and the figurative death of her relationship with Elliott. Late in the play, however, a spoonful of water becomes highly symbolic as Odessa repeats the ritual absent all purpose: each drop of water dropped by the spoon merely puddles on the floor, symbolically representing the life Odessa lost and wasted due to her addiction.
Yaz’s Steinway
Yaz teaches music as an adjunct professor at Swarthmore. As she confides to Elliott, “I have a mortgage on my piano.” She also possesses a degree written in a language she cannot even translate: Latin. Her life has been one spent in pursuit of individual and selfish happiness, but which has paradoxically left her feeling empty and meaningless. The decision to list the piano on Craigslist in order to raise money to buy Ginny’s home is a symbolic choice that actually speaks to a spiritual awakening in which she has already started pursing the different path of helping others as a means to finding personal fulfillment as well.
John Coltrane
As part of her instruction, Yaz has her students listen to two works by jazz legend John Coltrane: A Love Supreme and Ascension. The symbolism of these two musical selections is made concrete by Yaz when one takes the time to realize how it connects to the relationships around her. As she reminds the class, dissonance is “a gateway to resolution.”
Water Wings
Odessa sends Chutes & Ladders a water wing shortly after hearing his story about nearly drowning because he didn’t know how to swim. When he first pulls the water wing out of the package, it is still deflated and the only thing he takes away from his office at tossing his phone into the garbage and throwing his mail, pen cup and calculator to the ground. The next time it appears, the water wing has been inflated and he is confidently making plans to sell his car and make his way to Japan to finally meet Orangutan in person in the real world. Thus the water wings become the symbol of perseverance and Odessa’s advice to never allow setbacks to stop you permanently from seeking recovery.
