Prison

The prison where David is interned, Briggs Penitentiary, is symbolic of entrapment. David is serving time here for the murder of his son. Although he insists upon his innocence, at the novel's start, David feels his imprisonment is deserved. He is therefore trapped by his guilt and shame.

Photo

The photo that Rachel shows David of Matthew is symbolic of disruption. The author uses the photograph as a narrative device by which he unsettles David's otherwise predictable prison life. The photo also disrupts the characters' understanding of reality and the past, forcing them to reconsider the bounds of what is possible and true.

Ring

Hayden's class ring is symbolic of the past. Although he and Rachel have graduated from college years prior, Hayden continues wearing the ring in the narrative present. This habit reveals his obsessive preoccupation with the past, particularly in the context of his...