Money (symbol)
The money is a symbol of “vital forfeits.” The protagonist is sure that Lawrence feels, in watching how his family plays backgammon, that he is observing “the progress of mordant tragedy” in which the money the Pommeroys win and lose serve as “a symbol for more vital forfeits.” By his light, Odette has lost her virtue to the protagonist, the latter has lost his “self-esteem to Chaddy,” and so on. Lawrence enjoys a feeling of moral superiority.
The house (allegory)
The house is allegory for the Pommeroy family. According to Lawrence, “it is it’s a damned-fool idea to build a house at the edge of the cliff on a sinking coastline.” “As a matter of fact,” the man says, “the house is probably in some danger now.” “Imagine spending thousands of dollars to make a sound house look like a wreck,” Lawrence said. The truth is that Lawrence’s dark predictions are not only about the house. He means the rest of the Pommeroys will perish too, for they are indecent.
Saying goodbye (motif)
Lawrence has been saying goodbye all his life. When Father drowns, he goes to church and says “goodbye to Father.” Three years later, he says goodbye to Mother, for he concludes that she is “frivolous.” When he is in college, he finds a good friend, but says goodbye to him as soon as he sees him drunk. He says “goodbye” to Yale too, for its atmosphere becomes too “sequestered.” When he finds that his employee is dishonest, he says goodbye to him too. It seems that goodbye is his favorite word. This time, he comes to say goodbye to the Pommeroys.
