Small house
When Blöndal visits Kornsá’s house, he notes how small it is in comparison with the house he was used to and how dirty it was. Blönda was even feeling claustrophobic as he walked through the house and he noted the size of it. For him, the small house is a symbol of poverty and this symbol continues to be used in the novel.
The beauty of the Icelandic landscape
A common motif in the novel is the idea that Iceland is extremely beautiful. Every time some character finds himself in a tough situation, he thinks about the beautiful landscape and life becomes better. The priest that takes care of Agnes also contemplates the beauty of nature frequently and it is clear that for many the beautiful landscape is helping them survive and live one day at a time.
We must do our duty
Another common motif in the novel is the idea that everyone has to do their duty to society. The priest who is asked to be Agnes’s spiritual guide agrees to help her even though he does not agree with what Agnes did. In a similar fashion, the family where Agnes is sent to live also disapproves of her presence there but they agree to take her in anyway, considering as being their duty to do so.
Symbol for womanhood
When Agnes reaches her new home, she notes that she is no longer a woman. The time she spent in the prison was so harsh on her that she stopped having her periods. The loss of her periods is a symbol used here to point her loss of femininity, womanhood and even her status as a human being.
Symbol for hope
On the first night on the farm, Agnes wakes up after having a peaceful and restful sleep and after dreaming of the man she once loved. The dream is used here as a symbol for hope and to suggest the idea that Agnes believed as if she could finally have a peaceful life before she was to be executed.
