Windows
Windows are symbolic because in the protagonist’s eyes they hold the outside. In a paradox view point, the outside is the prison, while the inside of the house is the freedom. This relates to the setting of an apocalyptic world, but also deeper psychological fear of leaving the comfort zone.
Rooms
The protagonist is shown crawling, moving between different rooms. Each room is completely different from the other. Rooms are a symbol of various stages of protagonist’s life, her physical and psychological change and growth. From that view-point the house itself could be seen as an allegorical representation of life.
Light
Light is used as an antagonizing force in the novella, it represents imminent danger and death. Light is shown to change and swallow life. The novella opens up with the image of light growing mold inside the protagonist. Looking at it from a deeper, psychological perspective, light could be seen in terms of fear of change, fear of leaving the safety of the darkness where one is unseen, while coming into the light one is exposed.
The brackets
The syntactic form of the novella, with the constant use of brackets for sentences or sections of the novella is intentional, and it symbolizes the confinement withing the walls of the house.
