“Farewell gesture”
Hoffman writes, "My sister, four years younger than I, is clutching my hand wordlessly; she hardly understands where we are…My parents are highly agitated; they had just been put through a body search by the customs police, probably as the farewell gesture of anti-Jewish harassment-" The farewell infers that after their migration, the family will not be subjected to stereotypes due to their Jewish orientation. Persecution and mistreatment of Jews are ordinary in the home country.
Paradise
Hoffman explains, "Many years later, at a stylish party in New York, I met a woman who told me that she had had an enchanted childhood…No wonder , she said, that when this part of her life came to an end, at age thirteen, she felt she had been exiled from paradise, and had been searching for it ever since." Paradise is emblematic of happiness which makes the woman's childhood enjoyable and memorable. She yearns for the comfort which she relished during her childhood; hence, she embarks on finding it during her adulthood.
Bull
Hoffman elucidates, “My father is short, powerfully built man who, of course, seems very tall to me, and who, in his youth, had a reputation for being “Strong as a bull.” ” Comparing her father to a bull underscores his extraordinary strength. He was a masculine and robust man; thus, the comparison to the bull is pertinent.
Tomboy
Hoffman recounts, “ My sister becomes a tomboy and a leader of children as soon as she is old enough to run around by herself. From our little balcony, we see her literally leading files of neighborhood kids in various exploits, like snail gathering and tree climbing." The allegorical ‘tomboy’ reference implies that Hoffman’s sister espouses masculine attributes although she is female. Her tomboyish nature, perchance, attracts her peers to her who perceive her as their leader.
