The symbolism of treachery
The Climber's friends, who kill him and then pretend to be part of the moaners, symbolize treachery. In the story "Climbing Nation," the Climber dined with his best friends, but he never knew they would kill him one day. After the Climber's death, the unnamed woman narrator in the story discovers that the people most loyal took the Climber took his life.
Strength of the mind
The young women's enthusiasm to transition into adults symbolizes the strength of the mind. In the story "Liddy, First to Fly," the narrator and her fellow young women have one objective, to face the harsh realism of transition, which involves the growth of wings on their legs. Liddy's optimism is drawn from her inquisitiveness because she learns that even her mother underwent a similar process before attaining her womanhood.
The infinity of life
The narrator's optimism to reconnect with her dead mother in the story "Pre-Simulation Consultation" shows that mortality is not the end of life. When a person dies, her memories remain fresh among her relatives, who often communicate and see each other in dreams. Therefore, the narrator knows that although her mother is not physically present, they are together emotionally, which explains why she is determined to bond with her in the simulator.
