Stoutness (Symbol)
Stoutness is a symbol of life. The Dumpling - who is often described as “fat,” “cowed,” and even compared to a pig – is an embodiment of passion. Unlike other people in the coach, she doesn’t even try to pretend to be a better person than she really is. Her reputation of a loose woman allows her to be the way she is, for the said reputation makes people assume the worst of her. That loveliness and passion of hers are the treats that attract us in her.
Hunger (Allegory)
Hunger is allegory of unity. In spite of the fact that the people present in the coach were dissimilar, there was something that united them and that was “a hard emptiness” in their stomachs. Even the ladies’ contempt for “this woman” was “turned into a ferocious longing” as soon as they had realized that she was the only one person in the coach who was smart enough to take some food with her. Hunger made them even. “Desperate time” required “desperate measures”.
Revealing true colors (Motif)
The Dumpling’s fellow travelers thought that the Dumpling led disgraceful life. They assumed that it was her own decision to live a life of a “loose woman” and treated her like dirt beneath their feet. Food and common problems made them put aside their prejudices and try to be civil, but that friendliness didn’t last for too long. After a night that she spent with a Prussian officer, “no one looked at her, or gave her a thought.” They thought that they saw her true face, however that was a mistake, for their little journey didn’t reveal anything new about the Dumpling. However, readers learn an impressive number of unpleasant details about the Dumpling’s fellow travelers’ lives.
