Nudity

Nudity symbolizes vulnerability and innocence in the novel. Mary often awakens nude after her PAKing sessions with Ed in the moments when she is seeking to cure herself and feel whole again. These moments are so significant for Mary because she never formally becomes sexually intimate with Kurt, the most romantic subject throughout the novel, but she is completely bare and often unaware what is happening to her in these moments with Ed.

New York City

New York City symbolizes the mysterious framework of personal development in the novel. New York City is more than just a setting for the character's lives to unfold. Rather, the twists and turns of the city mirror the character's patterns of self-discovery and realization.

Hunger

Hunger symbolizes fear and the physical manifestation of struggle in the novel. Mary is often described as hungry during the early stages of the novel...