Poland as a paradise lost
Because of the traumatic nature of WWII, Hoffman remembers normal life as a kind of unspoken paradise. She feels that Poland used to represent peace to her, but she never even knew that's what it was. She notices once she is gone how much she always loved her home, her community, and her life. The war is a kind of horror, because it takes her away from her life forever. Poland is forever an Edenic paradise lost.
Exile through motif
This memoirist remembers her feelings of exile through motif, because life is complex enough that she must realize again and again all the ways that her life has permanently changed. Not only that, there are also emotions that she must endure as she processes the reality of her situation. The use of motif shows the gradual change in her identity as she goes further and further from home, understanding moment by moment that perhaps she'll never live normal life in Poland again.
The New World
The European refugee notices that her traveling to America is not unlike the original motivation for moving to America back in the colonial days. She uses the words "The New World" to refer to Houston, Texas, where is finally planted in a culture that grows on her. She is like a pilgrim and a settler. That's why the allusion to American history is such a potent symbol, because it underscores that immigrants and refugees have always been the heartbeat of the United States.
The War as symbol
World War II represents something to the life of the memoirist as a young girl. For one thing, it represents death, because she is suddenly faced with the fear or death. Also, the warfare represents a permanent change in European politics, but more importantly, it represents darkness and chaos to her. She faces the War like someone might face a terminal illness—with the utmost fear and concern. It might even represent her dark side in some interpretations.
Learning English as a symbol
Learning a new language is a symbol for the reality of her situation, and it also serves as a tangible metaphor for the growing and changing in the memoirist's identity through time. Just as her English improves over time, so also time assuages her PTSD and trauma, not completely, but some. Also, time helps her to process the grief from such sudden changes. English is a symbol for her continual work and her eventual success in adaptation.
