Wolves and Doors

Wolves are symbols for the bad things that can happen in life, and the characters - specifically Frankie - learns that there can be a wolf behind every door, but that there can also be good things, including life. Doors symbolize possibilities, choices, and new stages in life. Some are metaphoric but others are physically present and specific to one situation or event.

The Door from Frankie's Childhood

This specific door, in the apartment where Frankie lived when she was young, symbolizes the familiarity of home and the separation between Frankie and the truth of what happened in that room. Frankie heard the gunshot that her mother fired when Frankie was very young, but her aunt “scooped her up, and slammed the door behind them” (1). Frankie also associated the smell of blood with that door. This is one of many doors in the novel...