Joe's mother's piano (symbol)
Joe’s mother died when he was still a young child but Joe never forgets his mother and he continues to cherish her memory. Because of this, Joe is always careful to protect his mother’s piano at which his mother used to play regularly. One of his fondest memory of his mother is playing the piano, so when their old house catches on fire, Joe doesn’t hesitate to run into the house and try and save the piano. For him, the piano is important because it is a symbol of Joe’s love for his mother.
Noble sport (motif)
A motif in the book is the idea that rowing is a noble sport. When it was first invented in the 17th century, it was a sport performed primarily by the aristocrats. While other people became interested in the sport as time passed by, it remained associated with the aristocrat class and with the idea of nobility for a long period of time.
Weather (symbol)
In the beginning of the book, the author mentions the bad weather numerous times and mentions the idea that it is raining so hard that some of the older buildings have been eroded by the water. The rain here is used also as a symbol to make reference to the hardships the people had to endure during the Great Depression and also to suggest the way the economic crisis was affecting the population in general.
Music (motif)
Another motif found in the book is the idea that Joe uses music as a way of gaining more strength. Despite all the hardships he has to go through, Joe never gives up on music and he continues to play music even after he joins the rowing team. Despite being ridiculed for his passion, Joe continues to play music and get better at it.
Remaining calm (motif)
The rowing coaches all stress the importance of remaining calm while rowing. Remaining calm is important because it means that the team is working efficiently and in synch, thus reducing the possibility of making mistakes. The idea that the team has to remain calm while rowing is a recurrent motif in the novel.
