Pearl

Pearl, the baby mammoth that Jane and Helen manage to breed against all odds, is a symbol for the Drake family's grief over the loss of Sal, and perhaps of Sal's memory itself. Given that Sal worked on prehistoric research, the choice of a baby mammoth—something both fragile and enormous—is a relevant comparison for the void opened by Sal's loss, particularly since Jane spends so much time tending to it that she does not have time to care for her own daughters. As such, the mammoth stands in for the power of grief to rob people of their time and energy.

Siberian Foods

The foods that Vera is exposed to in Siberia are a symbol, somewhat inversely, of the privilege and amenity of the lives most of Vera's American peers live. She realizes that there is no room for dietary preference in the remote...