Vodka Bottle

The vodka bottle in Lily's closet, left behind by her dad, is a symbol of childhood innocence. Lily's dad read with her every night when she was little, and she holds onto the bottle as a memento of the time when he was still a part of her life. Lily says, "I never questioned the hours I spent sequestered away in my bedroom with Dad, reading while he drank. It was fun, and it was too good to last" (18). It is not until her dad comes to visit that she realizes his issues with alcohol were part of the reason he cut off contact with the family and that the times they spent together always involved him drinking.

Chess

The game of chess represents Lily's growth throughout the novel. Lily remembers her Dad teaching her to play chess, and she blames her poor chess skills...