Intersection - The Suitcase

In "The Suitcase," the busy intersection that Saba is unable to cross is a symbol of her feelings of discouragement at being unable to assimilate in the country of her birth, Ethiopia. The locals seem to understand the chaos of the intersection, able to merge their cars and cross the street, but Saba ultimately takes a cab to the other side since she cannot figure out how to cross on foot, and then sees the taxi driver laughing at her. At this point, she "knew just how badly she'd fumbled yet another attempt to fit in" (3).

The Berlin Wall - The Wall

In "The Wall," the Berlin Wall is a symbol of the isolation that both the narrator and Herr Weill feel as immigrants, and the ways in which society can divide people of different races and nationalities. While living in Berlin, the...