Scheherazade

Scheherazade, the fictional rememberer and recounter of all stories, is symbolic of love. Daniel decides to assume her narrative stance and mode of storytelling at the start of the novel. He is attached to Scheherazade's character, because she not only uses story to keep herself alive, but in order to turn the king's stone heart soft and human again.

1,001 Nights

The 1,001 Nights folktale is symbolic of memory. The Nights is the sum of Scheherazade's recounted stories to the king. In this way, the fragmented structure of the tale mimics that of memory itself. The author uses references to the Nights throughout the novel in order to underscore his explorations regarding the slippery nature of memory and one's subsequent desperation to retain control over her past.

Bull

The bull Daniel believes Baba Haji kills for him is symbolic of innocence. Daniel asserts that because his grandfather slays...