Mountain Country

The mountain country is symbolic of privilege. Set apart from the rest of the surrounding Italian countryside, the mountain is an exclusive society built by the employer. The residents of the country are predominantly wealthy investors or scientists. When the narrator first comes here, she feels outside of the group, but soon sacrifices part of herself in order to reap the country's associated benefits.

Strawberries

The strawberries the narrator cooks with when she first comes to the mountain are symbolic of bounty. Before arriving in the country, the narrator has not seen produce in some time. The strawberries expose the exclusivity and excess of her new home.

Food

Throughout the novel, repeated images and descriptions of food are symbolic of desire. Although the narrative world is suffering from a worsening food crisis, the narrator's interest in and obsession with food does not wane. Even when...