Violation as a symbol
There are two serious instances of sexual abuse in this novel. The first one happens to the main character toward the beginning of the book, and the second one happens to the protagonist's foil, her friend Esther. These instances can be seen as representative, because they are moments that show how easily women are exploited in this economy and society. Also, the association between masculinity and morally repugnant and heinous behavior is an indication that the women are disenfranchised in this community, so the symbol also refers to the village's warped power dynamic.
Jonah's rejection
The father and brothers in this town all die in a work-related accident, leaving Lillian in a serious conundrum. Without any socially acceptable ways to make money, she is reduced to her dwindling resources, and she panics. When she remarries, she underestimates the man's capacity for violence and evil and she leaves at once when she realizes that the man has been sexually abusing Chanda. When Lillian denies Jonah's marriage proposal, that is evidence that Lillian is after more than just companionship and love. Her well-being is on the line; she needs provision.
Alcohol as a symbol
There is a dynamic symbol when Jonah succumbs to alcoholism. In a way, this seems like an effect which Lillian caused, which she does internalize in time when Jonah dies. But actually, that is a misunderstanding of Jonah's ailment. The symbol actually refers to Jonah's own lack of discipline and tendency toward severe depression. Although alcoholism is a difficult battle for anyone, it is especially pernicious when a person's self-esteem is not healthy. Jonah's lack of money and tendency for self-destruction are actually valid reasons why Lillian might not want to commit.
The child mother
When Jonah's untreated mental illness leads surprisingly to death, Lillian inherits mental agony from Jonah's death. Now, she herself will crumble under the weight of human suffering, but with terrible consequences. She abandons her family in a bout of severe panic and escapism, and Lillian becomes the maternal authority in her home, taking care of children that are her own siblings. She is unable to provide, like her mother, and therefore, she represents the way her mother felt as a helpless provider in duress. The symbol of the child mother is also archetypal, meaning it is a common motif in human literature regardless of culture or costume.
AIDS as a symbol
Esther arrives with news that she has contracted AIDS while being raped by a contaminated man. The symbol can be taken as a reference to corruption or evil, or perhaps it can be seen as a complex symbol for fate. Taken that way, the symbol reads as follows: After having adopted responsibility for her younger siblings, Chanda is forced to reconcile with the pain and suffering of life, symbolized in a terminally ill rape victim. By accepting her friend's death sentence, she also faces her own vulnerability to death. This is a rite of passage that completes her becoming an adult.
