The bident (Symbol)
The bident, or the tuning fork, is the symbol of the Tonists, a religious group that worships the vibrations of the universe. The bident is used in their ceremonies and monasteries, and its symbolic meaning shifts over the course of the novel. Citra first encounters the bident while arguing with a Tonist, and she uses a mallet to hit the tuning fork. This creates a resounding noise that she finds both calming and stimulating, and it releases her anger in an unsettling way. Rowan later uses a similar (or perhaps even the same) mallet to beat Scythe Chomsky to death in a Tonist monastery, perverting the mallet's purpose and its earlier calming influence. For Tonists, the tuning fork is both a symbol and a tool: when Scythe Volta enters a classroom while gleaning a Tonist monastery, a little boy holds a bident up to him, truly believing that it will protect the children from the scythe. (It doesn't, but Scythe Volta self-gleans immediately after.)
Being the weapon (Motif)
Throughout Scythe, there is a repeated emphasis on humans being or becoming weapons. Scythe Faraday explains to Citra in chapter one that scythes are the weapons that humanity wields, and H.S. Curie frequently muses on this in her journals. Scythes get to choose the weapons they use, from Scythe Faraday's enormous weapon collection to Scythe Yingxing's dedication to only gleaning with his own body. Scythe Goddard is thrilled with the weapon Rowan becomes, though he ends up incapable of wielding Rowan as a weapon himself.
This motif blends with frequent references to becoming animal or inhuman. After killing for the first time, Rowan wants to howl like a wolf; before he is beheaded, Goddard pontificates about eagles and lions. The motif of weapons and references to animals combine into a discussion of what it means to be human, and how Rowan and Citra can remain human while killing as weapons or animals.
Ice cream (Symbol)
The delicious ice cream at revival centers symbolizes humanity's complete adjustment to dying. The ice cream is referenced throughout the novel, from multiple perspectives. Rhonda Flowers mostly remembers the ice cream after Citra pushed her in front of a truck, and she craves it so much she even made herself deadish once so she could eat it again (to her disappointment, she was revived in a cheaper center without delicious ice cream). After Rowan breaks her neck, Citra has the best ice cream of her life. Both of these somewhat-comedic references to ice cream culminate in a tragic usage, in Citra's final apprentice test, as Citra asks her younger brother, Ben, what ice cream he's excited to eat to distract him while she stabs him through the heart.
Ice cream might be a small luxury in a world where everything is accessible, but the joy of it is enough (at least for some) to offset the pain, fear, and horror of dying.
Scythe robes (Symbol)
Scythes choose the colors of their robes, which symbolize their role in society, as well as their individual personalities. At her first conclave, Citra observes “…robes of all colors, all textures. It was a rainbow that summoned forth anything but thoughts of death. This, Citra realized, was intentional. Scythes wished to be seen as the many facets of light, not darkness.” Robes are used to symbolize the Scythehood's ethos, as well as spread the perception that they are helpful, not dangerous.
Robes are symbolic on an individual level as well. Scythe Faraday wears ivory robes, which are often stained or dirtied as he gleans—this indicates his fastidious personality, as well as his austerity and dedication to each individual gleaning. Scythe Goddard and his elegy wear robes studded with precious gems, and they create a dazzling image, standing out from any crowd. These opulent robes symbolize their desire for attention. At his final conclave and in later books, Rowan wears all black, symbolizing his separation from the Scythedom—as well as his connection, as shadows don't exist without light.
Fire (Motif)
Accidental burning is the only way to die naturally in the post-mortal world, and even then, it's very rare. The Thunderhead is able to prevent most fires using its predictive algorithms, and firefighters and medics are so efficient that few are fatally burned—but if they are, they're unable to be revived. Fire is the only remaining danger or element of randomness in their world.
Fire can also be used to glean, and it's strictly forbidden for firefighters to interfere with scythe actions. Fire is introduced in Scythe as a gleaning tool by Scythe Chomsky, who wants to use his flamethrower to glean on a plane; even Scythe Goddard, who loves panic and fear, knows that this is going too far. Chomsky continues to use his flamethrower throughout, burning people alive in office buildings, corn mazes, and monasteries. This is controversial, but not illegal, until Rowan uses fire as an excuse to kill Scythes Goddard and Chomsky. High Blade Xenocrates himself lobbies for gleaning by fire to be made illegal at Winter Conclave, and the motion passes.
Fire as a motif obviously evokes power, rage, and danger; the fact that it's the only way to naturally die in Scythe exaggerates its usual associations.
