Shen Fever (Symbol)
The Shen Fever is a disease which forces those who catch it to repeat routines until they are ultimately killed. The Shen Fever is the main symbol of the novel. It is representative of the routines that many people who live under capitalism fall into because of that economic system. Shen Fever is symbolic, in other words, of the ills of capitalism.
Wall Street (Symbol)
Severance is modeled after the "Occupy Wall Street" movement. Naturally, Wall Street is a powerful symbol which is emblematic of the ills of capitalism, a system which Ma lambasts in Severance. Wall Street is also symbolic of greed, sickness, and destruction.
United States (Symbol)
The United States is symbolic of the perversion of capitalism and a place in which unfettered capitalism has created instability and misery within the country. The United States, after all, is considered one of the most powerful symbols of capitalism.
