How does the author use the ducks in the wilderness to illustrate Lamentations growing connection to nature in the novel, The Vaster Wilds?

The ducks that Lamentations finds in the wilderness are symbolic of grief. Lamentations kills the female ducks and takes the eggs, leaving the drake on his own. Although she is thankful for this sustenance, she relates to the drake's loss and sorrow. The author uses the ducks as a way to capture both Lamentations' continued sorrow and her growing connection with the natural world.