Houses

In "None of That," the houses the narrator and her mother visit are symbolic of belonging. The narrator's mother indeed has an obsession with other people's homes, and has developed a habit of infiltrating and stealing from them. The mother sees these houses as containers for the feeling of love and grounding she lacks in her own life.

Sugar Bowl

In "None of That," the sugar bowl that the narrator's mother takes from the woman's house is symbolic of longing. The woman begs the mother not to take the bowl as it is the last thing of her late mother's she owns. The mother takes it anyway, burying it in her yard with her other stolen possessions. Taking something precious of someone else's grants the mother a sense of power over her circumstances, while also granting her an outlet for her inarticulable longing.

Former Home

In...