Ponder Heart
The Ponder Heart, used in the title of the book wasn't just about Daniel Ponder's heart. In the novel, people seemed to die from sudden heart attacks, caused by Daniel Ponder accidentally. The 'Ponder Heart' is an imagery for something bigger, the consequences of a big heart uncle Daniel possessed. In life's principles, one can never have everything. Daniel Ponder was a wonderful soul, he was extremely generous, so it was natural that deaths would occur in his presence due to his kind heart. Peculiar enough, both characters who died from heart attacks were Mr.Ponder (uncle Daniel's father), and Bonnie-Dee Ponder. This would probably be why Eudora Welty decided to name the book "Ponder Heart". It's a crime novel not only about the good of giving, but the deaths that had occurred, unfortunately, and that life is unfair and not what it always seems.
The Peacocks
Eudora Welty used the word 'Peacocks' as the character Bonnie Dee and her family's last name. The Peacock was used as an imagery to influence the reader about what kind of people they were. Peacocks are proud creatures, they love to be the center of attention. They are usually used to symbolize an impulsive personality. In page 65 of the novel, Uncle Daniel greeted Mrs.Peacock (Bonnie Dee's mother) and said "Your daughter's pretty as a doll" and she replied with "Well, that's just the way I used to look, but never cared to brag". The way Mrs.Peacock replied proven that she didn't say she was bragging, but the readers could depict the tone in her voice, that she was unimpressed by her daughter's beauty and implied she looked the same when she was younger.
The Asylum
The asylum was an imagery of how uncle Daniel's father was disapproving of him, and had thought putting him in an asylum would cure him. The book was written in the 1950's, where asylums were for people who were deemed 'mad'. However, the way Edna Earle described her uncle, the readers could tell there was nothing 'mad' about Daniel Ponder, just that he was exceptionally giving and generous. This proved that people will always have conflicts of interest in life, and have different views and opinions of each other.
The storm
After Bonnie Dee's shocking death, investigators try to find out what caused it. Uncle Daniel and Edna Earle were interrogated by the Police and detectives. Initially, Edna Earle and uncle Daniel lied, perhaps to protect uncle Daniel. They said her death was caused by a lightning strike, frightening Bonnie Dee to death. However, that was not the truth. Ironically, there wasn't a single scene with storm in the story before Bonnie's death. It's peculiar how a sudden horrifying lightning storm broke out over the mansion.
