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Catherine's Childhood Home

This is a ramshackle house in Houlton, Maine. The narrator's ex-mother-in-law grew up in this house, which she discovers with her ex-husband on a trip. This place symbolizes family secrets, as neither the narrator nor her ex-husband were aware that his mother had grown up in such extreme poverty.

Vase

This is a Christmas present that the narrator's ex-husband gives to his third wife. This object symbolizes the beginning of the disintegration of their marriage, as when the third wife leaves her husband, she takes nearly all of her belongings, save for the vase.

Houlton, Maine

This is a town in Northern Maine, where the narrator and her ex-husband visit to discover more about his family history. This place symbolizes family history, as it is here that the narrator and her ex-husband uncover things about his family that he had never known before.

New York City

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