Describe symbolism in Mating by Norman Rush

Snakes, the classic phallic symbol and representation of choice and consequence, appear several times in the novel as symbols with initiating action. The narrator overcomes her fear of snakes to become one of the women dispatched to handle them when they threaten the village. Later, Nelson will come close to death in the desert when a snake falls from a tree and bites his horse, which throws and injures him.