Shivah

The shivah in the novel’s opening chapters symbolizes the tension between atheism, religious faith, and grief. When Larry goes to Memphis to attend the shivah arranged by his sister, he must struggle not only with grief for his deceased father, but also with his own dislike for religion. These dynamics then provide a mirror for his alter journey as Shuli, in which he is devoutly religious and struggles to reconcile that devotion with his lingering grief.

Heaven

In the novel, heaven symbolizes the connection between happiness, virtue, and self-purpose. The novel’s various depictions of heaven reflect the protagonist’s struggle to find a sense of fulfillment in his own life. Throughout the novel, Larry/Shuli becomes continually more aware of the power of altruism to bestow a sense of fulfillment and purpose, and he fortunately succeeds in finding more profound ways to fill this...