Significance of Beets

Annabelle and her mother pull beets from the ground which represent Toby. Beets appear tough and bitter on the outside, but on the inside are soft and sweet. Annabelle and her mother gather beets directly after visiting Betty, making it seem at first as though the beets might symbolize Betty. This turns out clearly not to be the case. The beets instead come to symbolize Toby, who by all appearances, should be strange and cruel, but in reality, is merely hurt and kind.