Segregation Motif
One of the underlying themes of the book is segregation, and this is a motif that can be seen throughout the novel, but not as a glaring, confrontational motif; rather, it is a constant, always forming the backdrop of what goes on. Mam is not allowed to sit at the front of the bus unless Victor is with her, and she is not allowed to visit the zoo on her own either, again, this has to be with Victor accompanying. The part of town that Victor and Mam have to go to in order to get Victor's possessions back from Ara T is a colored part of town, and Victor has never been here before. This motif shows that there are parts of town that whites and coloreds don't visit purely on racial grounds. Victor also mentions that Rat's parents are concerned about the end of segregation and are thinking of making sure he still attends a whites-only school. The motif is constant and supports the theme of segregation throughout the novel.
Vienna Sausages Symbol
Vienna sausages become a symbol of Ara T to Victor. When he first take a look inside the canopy where Ara T lives, he finds discarded cans of Vienna sausages, and the smell and sight of them make him think of Ara T. Later, when he is not aware that he is in an area where Ara T is now living, he spots the discarded cans of the sausages, and makes the connection. This is how the sausages come to symbolize Ara T.
Admitting Stammering Symbol
When Victor stands up in class and admits that he has a stammer that bothers him, it is a symbol of his increased confidence in himself and the fact that he is not prepared to hide his speech impediment anymore. Previously unwilling to admit to his stammer unless pushed, this change shows that he is confident enough to know that his stammer is something that he has, not something that tells people who he is.
Yellow Handled Knife Symbol
Victor gives his knife with the yellow handle to Ara T and it becomes a symbol of the role of Ara T in the community and in the book. An odd-job man, he has a reputation for being able to sharpen blades but takes advantage of Victor's youth and steals his knife. The knife is the reason that Mam goes to Ara T and ends up being beaten up as she tries to get it back, and at the end of the book, it is the yellow handled knife that ends up saving them from Ara T and causing him to be beaten as she stabs him with it.
Being A Father v Being A Dad Motif
Throughout the book, Victor wrestles with the fact that the man he calls "Dad" is not his birth father, and that this fact has been hidden from him his whole life. However, the motif of his Dad comes up throughout the book; his dad plays baseball with him even when he is tired, he brings him change back from trips to show that he thought of him even whilst he is away, and it is this change that Ara T steals from Victor's desk drawer, so that the motif is present in the book even when his father is not in the story. Finally Victor's realization that the man he calls Dad is his Dad by choice not by accident of birth makes him even more confident in himself.
