Significance of Mud

In the novel, Halmoni recalls feeding Andy -- Sam and Lily's father -- some mud in order to keep him grounded. She says that he would often forget himself and talk too much without thinking, thus by putting a bit of mud in his drink she hoped to cure him of this evil. The mud, coming from the earth, symbolizes that grounding that Halmoni sought. It is a humbling of the person, a reminder that the earth is vast and they are small, so they should keep themselves in check whenever possible. Lily jumps on the idea of grounding someone with mud and plays the same trick on Ricky, however the difference is that she wants to humble him as a form of punishment, whereas Halmoni's humbling of Andy came from a place of love and care.