Importance of The sparrow

The sparrow that Sara kills in the snow symbolizes her lost innocence. In a desperate effort to impress the school boys and prove herself one of the gang, Sara crushes a tiny sparrow to death in the snow. As soon as she does it, she realizes what her desire for acceptance has cost. "I was afraid of some invisible law. Dejan's approval, which I had so longed for, was suddenly nothing but the blabbering of a brat who witnessed my crime" (121). Lejla watches Sara do this, and her face betrays a unique horror, born from the mutual loss of innocence they experienced together. When Sara remembers Lejla in that moment she sees "an older you, your hair changes color, your eyes too" (121). Lejla's gaze hurts Sara, and she feels condemned. "In your eyes, I'd deprived everything of its purpose. That's when I realized what I had done, not before I saw that look on your face" (122).