Baths

Throughout Good Night, Irene, the author utilizes baths as a symbol for purification. When Irene is in London, she takes a bath at the hotel. In the same manner that she physically cleans her body, she symbolically attempts to wash away the violence she witnessed while serving overseas. As the novel progresses, Irene takes a bath whenever she can. The character’s constant bathing mirrors her desperation to preserve her spirit and hope as she loses friends, witnesses violence, and faces near death experiences.

The Talent Show

In Good Night, Irene, the author utilizes the talent show as a symbol for coping. When the troops are preparing for the assault on Normandy, Irene organizes the night of entertainment to assuage the tension on the base. The Clubmobilers and soldiers are able to cope with the imminent violence and death by finding humor in their circumstance. Urrea...