The Lawyer: symbol
The lawyer is symbolic of the Tanner family's desire to be wealthier and more upwardly mobile, as well as a powerful symbol of the family's desire to be thrifty and to look for value in overlooked places.
The Māori: symbol
The Māori are powerful symbols of the effects of colonialism, which has throughout history wreaked havoc on the Māori's native New Zealand and many other countries across the world (and the aboriginal people from their country). The Māori, like many other people like them, were subjugated because of who they were, the color of their skin, and white greed.
Standpipe: symbol
The standpipe is an important symbol of progress and of value. The standpipe, in fact, adds a tremendous amount of value to the Tanner home—value that was initially overlooked and not recognized.
The Tanner's home: symbol
The Tanner's home is symbolic of their relative wealth and status (as compared to the Māori, who were the first people to live in New Zealand) of the white people who came into and colonized New Zealand. The Tanner's house is a reminder to both Māori, the Tanners, and their neighbors about the wealth and power of white colonizers.
Colonialism: allegory
"At Hiruharama" is an allegory for colonialism throughout history (Britain, in fact, colonized New Zealand and treated the Māori, or aboriginal people, horribly). It is simultaneously a history lesson and a warning against colonialism and its awful consequences.
