The Family's Last Name Symbol
The Borrower family's last name is "Clock" which is actually a symbol of where they reside - behind the clock in the dining room of the big country house. All of the Borrower families have the last name symbolizing their location.
Decanter Metaphor
Aunt Sophy believes that Pod comes out of the decanter. This is a metaphor for her drinking too much as she thinks that she only sees him when she has drunk too much Madeira wine.
Class Motif
Class is a motif throughout the novel. Homily is obsessed with class and maintaining a higher social level than her relatives. She lives in a big country house which also makes her feel superior to her family who live behind the badger set. The location of her home is always important to her because of how it reflects on her class-wise, rather than because of amenities or view.
Handwriting Symbol
Arietty leaves The Boy a letter to let him know they are well and that they got out of the tunnel. However her handwriting is almost identical to The Boy's which is seen by his sister as a symbol of his making up the story of the Borrowers.
Smell of Cooking Symbol
The Boy's sister smells casserole cooking out by the badger's set which symbolizes the Borrower's new home in the fields; wherever one could smell casserole cooking one would invariably find Homily.
