Aksionov's Grey Hair (Symbol)
Before Aksionov departs for the fair, his wife tells him of a dream she had the previous night, in which he returned from the fair with grey hair. He merely laughs and says it's a good omen, but this ominous symbol has more import than he realizes, as his grey hair foreshadows how the stress of his wrongful imprisonment will prematurely age him.
Bloody Knife (Symbol)
The bloody knife unexpectedly found in Aksionov's bag functions as the crucial piece of evidence needed to convict him. Since he is actually innocent, this knife stands as a symbol of Aksionov's lack of control over his fate. Later in the story, he learns that Semyonich planted the knife among Aksionov's possessions, having decided to frame him for the crime rather than murder him.
The Lives of the Saints (Symbol)
While in prison, Aksionov earns some money by working as a bootmaker, which he uses to buy the book The Lives of the Saints, a popular volume of biographies of famous Christian figures written in the 1700s by Catholic priest and scholar Father Alban Butler. The book represents Aksionov's religious devotion and how he steadily comes to resemble a religious authority himself. While other men drown in selfishness and self-pity, Aksionov becomes the grandfather figure of the prison camp, the honest man in a group of thieves.
