Birds

Throughout the novel, birds represent emotional distance. Franny, who when she is young refers to herself as “the Maid of Thorns” because she wants to never fall in love, has a special gift with birds (70). That her familiar is a crow and that she sends that crow to watch over the love she denies herself further support this notion. At the end of the novel, Sally Owens, Franny’s young grand-niece shares this gift with birds, along with certain aspects of Franny’s abrasive personality.

Flowers

Alice Hoffman uses flowers to symbolize witchcraft in the novel. Most of the magic Franny and Jet are shown using within the novel involves uses plants of some sort to create a magical concoction. That they support themselves by selling homemade, natural skincare products and love potions suggests that Owens intertwines flowers and nature with witchcraft to show just how...