The Comet

A comet is Valora's symbol for her brother, Jamie. He left just a week before Halley's Comet passed over London, and Valora compared Jamie's departure to Halley's arrival.

The Queue

One of the Chinese wears his hair in a queue as a symbol of his loyalty to the Qing dynasty.

The Number Four

The number "4" is a symbol of bad luck in the Chinese culture. Valora discovers that Jamie exchanged cabins with some older Chinese men because they were in room 14. Valora notices the number four is prominent on the deck where the lifeboats are stored, which is one of many instances of foreshadowing.

Valora's Dreams about Ba

Valora's dreams are a symbol that her father has not moved on to a peaceful afterlife. In these troubling dreams, Ba is always in trouble and Valora is unable to help him. She takes that to mean...