Destiny - “Life on Grimsey Island”
Vasquez explains, "He (Oliveira) wondered if that was true: if everything had a human cause and another random one, if destiny existed. He also wondered if Agatha had crossed herself, if she'd listened for one last time to her daughter's voice, if a woman who has decided to die allows herself the luxury of sentimentalism or the nostalgia of faith." Oliveira reasons that his involvement with Agatha before her suicide could be due to destiny which he had no power to restrain. Perhaps, it has been predetermined that he would be intimate with Agatha before her death which means that the turn of events were beyond his control. Contemplating about the role of destiny in his and Agatha’s life is a mechanism which enables him to confront the reality of his role in the suicide.
‘Hiding places’ - “Hiding Places”
Claire states, "I don't know, 'cursed' is a strong word, I feel horrible saying it. But there is something he'd like to hide from. If he takes me to these things, if he lets me to go with him and I get soaked in that pain, what hiding place remains for him?" The 'hiding places' refer to the haven where Philippe does not have to think about the curses which make his life unbearable. Claire offers him the 'hiding places'; thus, he strives not to involve her in engagements that would subject her to the curses which mar his life. Being with Claire is comforting for Philippe for she is relatively lucky compared to his family which is always struck by bad luck.
Fragility - “The All Saints’ Day Lovers”
Vasquez observes, “There was something vaguely vulnerable about her, and it amused me to realize she was frightened. But then I thought it was perhaps legitimate that a small young woman-she wasn’t actually that small, but her fragility created that illusion-should be frightened, working alone and late in a fast-food place on the side of a dark road.” Here, Vasquez equates femininity to fragility. The woman’s solitariness makes her vulnerable to attacks because she is feminine and a male attacker would probably overpower her. Such working hours, which include night, increase her risk for she lacks protection.
Telephone - “Hiding Places”
The narrator explains, “And then I stood there, in the front of the telephone, waiting for Claire to phone back, searching without success for something to say, a phrase that might serve as an umbrella or a hiding place for her after driving all the way back to Brussels alone.” The telephone is symbolic of communication medium which would minimize loneliness after conversing with a loved one. This sort of communication is comparable to a ‘hiding place’ for lonesome individuals.
Beggar - “Hiding Places”
The narrator recounts, “She was hugging her knees tight to her chest with her head between her arms, like a beggar in the subway… “ The boy died,” She said. “Philippe isn’t coming home tonight, he’s staying with his sister.” The beggar denotes Claire’s desperation which is ascribed to the news concerning the child’s demise. Claire and, the child’s mother Philippe are powerless; hence, they cannot avert the child’s demise. Death makes the bereaved beggars for it strikes them mercilessly.
