A glass of wine
A glass of wine is a symbol of maturity. Due to the fact that the United States have strict alcohol laws, it is not a secret for anyone that many young people break the law in order to get it. That is why an ability to drink her favorite “rich red at day’s end” becomes a symbol of adulthood for Eva. She calls alcohol “the vaunted American Holy Grail of liberty”.
A pet that bites
A pet that bites is a metaphor for angry teenagers. They are still kids for their parents and, consequently, they treat them as if they are still those lovely toddlers, who wholly depend on their parents. When Eva says that Kevin is like “a pet that bites”, she talks about his pent-up aggression and his eagerness to get under her skin. It is possible to say that children and pets have a lot in common, both require attention, care and love, but no matter how much one loves his or her kid, there is no need to forget that they also can bite. Probably, the most important and difficult task of parenthood, especially for those parents, whose kids are like Kevin, to help them to get rid of that anger, aggression or malice without hurting others.
Correspondence
Eva writes letters to her dead husband, which he is not going to read. For her, it is something she can’t stop doing. “These letters are not on the list of the prescribed therapies”, but they help her a lot, for she can finally pour out her soul. She can reflect all her life, admit her mistakes, apologize, express her gratitude and even forgive herself.
Eve, Cain and Abel
The story can also be seen as an allegory for the Biblical stories. Eva can be seen as a symbol for Eve, as both characters see their first-born sons murder their respective sister and brother. Moreover, both women carry a sense of guilt. Eve disobeys God by eating the forbidden fruit and is expelled from the Garden of Eden along with Adam. Eva is blamed by the community for Kevin's murder, losing her respect and her job. Furthermore, Kevin and Celia symbolize Cain and Abel, the first murder in the Bible.
