Running

Throughout the novel, the author uses Elizabeth's running routine to symbolize restlessness. Unable to identify the source of her constant internal distress, Elizabeth relies on her daily runs for a sense of balance. Whenever her routine is disrupted, Elizabeth becomes frantic. She needs to be in physical motion in order to silence the unstoppable rush of words in her head. Though Elizabeth feigns stability, her religious attachment to running illustrates the truth of her emotional and psychological states.

Motherhood

By planting images of maternal dynamics throughout the novel, the author uses motherhood to symbolize fear. Almost all of the women in the novel who have children, including Elizabeth, feel plagued some iteration of anxiety. Elizabeth, her mother, Sasha, Kayla's mom, and the rich woman all describe their experiences longing for, carrying, losing, giving birth to, or caring for babies via allusions to terror or trepidation. Elizabeth...