The Honeybee

The glass honeybee that exchanges hands throughout the novel functions as a symbol of resilience and perseverance in the face of daunting circumstances. The charm grows out of Agnes' difficult decision to kill her husband in order to achieve personal and financial freedom for herself, and throughout the novel it resurfaces as a talisman that represents the necessary violences of life. The particular insect, the honeybee, embodies this mentality, as it is able to sting once in its life but kills itself in the process.

Agnes' Husband's Name

The appearance of Agnes' husband's name on the hall the university creates to display Ignace's work is a symbol of the predatory nature of both patriarchy and xenophobia in determining who receives credit for achievements. Despite the work put in by Agnes and Ignace, and Agnes' husband's loud disapproval of that work, he seeks to take credit...