The little man

The little man symbolizes the simultaneous comfort and fear that the spirit world can bring. He appears in Lisa's bedroom as a warning prior to death, illness, or other disaster striking her family. Lisa struggles with the question of to what extent she ought to heed his warnings.

Water

The ocean symbolizes the constant, binding force of family. Kitamaat is surrounded by ocean, and the Hill family depends on it for nourishment, leisure, and communing with ancestors. When Lisa is told stories about family members who she has never met, they frequently involve ocean, or the other bodies of water. Despite its unpredictability, the ocean is a reliable constant.

Kraft products

Kraft products are symbolic of how life is changing on Indigenous reserves. Appearing at the same frequency as fish, berries, and other foods from the land, Robinson points to the clash of cultures...