Eels

Eels symbolize Clare's ability and desire to fit any role someone gives her. Clare first feels the eels while watching Revolucion Zombi, imagining herself as the Final Girl. Then, she feels them again when she is mistaken at the art exhibit, when she plays the part of Liesel. On the day she was supposed to leave Havana, she imagines the eels as her menses, ridding herself of the traveler role and transitioning back to reality.

Final Girl

The Final Girl represents Clare's unending determination for peace of mind. Over the course of the novel, Clare slowly embodies the Final Girl character more and more, changing both appearance and mentality. The Final Girl is tough, strategic, and watchful, the things Clare was not in her former life.

Elevators

Clare's job as an elevator sales representative represents the constant up and downs of her mental state. In the...