Beulah Hotel
The Beulah Hotel is a symbol of security. It is the place where Edna and Uncle Daniel can go when there is no where else to go. Uncle Daniel turns to the Beulah Hotel when his wife Bonnie Dee kicks him out of his house. He is happy there surrounded by people and the town.
Edna sees the Beulah Hotel as the future of the Ponders. She and Uncle Daniel will always have a place at the hotel. It is a place that has happy memories and cannot be tarnished by tragic events. After the trial, the two take refuge in the walls of the hotel and they know they will be safe.
Studebaker
The Studebaker is a symbol of freedom. When Uncle Daniel takes his father's Studebaker, while his father is taken into the asylum in his place, he seeks freedom from the box in which his father tries to place him. He wants to be around people and among people who will listen to his stories and tell stories of their own. He loves being the center of attention.
When Narciss drives the Studebaker, she feels a sense of freedom from her usual duties as cook and cleaner. It gives her a sense of power to be behind the wheel and being able to go anywhere. She has freedom behind the wheel that she does not have at home.
Asylum
The asylum is a symbol of injustice. Daniel's father does not attempt to understand his son and his ways. He attempts to control his son by placing him in an asylum. His behavior because it is different from others is seen as abnormal. Daniel does not belong in the asylum. He is placed there as a convenience for his father.
It is not right to lock Daniel away from others when his personality is entwined with having the adoration of others. He must have people around him to feel meaning in life. He wants to make people like him. Cutting him off from the people he knows, his harmful to him.
Money
Money is a symbol of power. Edna's grandfather uses money to get what he wants. He builds a large house and has many friends. His money gives him powerful friends who can help him try to control his son Daniel by placing him in an asylum when he does not need to be there. It is done as a convenience to Mr. Ponder.
Uncle Daniel uses money to gain friends and love. It has the power to get him a young wife and many friends. By giving money away at his trial, he solidifies his acquittal. When he has no money, he has no power and no friends.
Lightning
Lightning is a symbol of fear. Grandpa Ponder puts lightning rods all over his home because he is scared that his home will be struck and he will lose his possessions or his life. This fear is felt by most people in the town. Narciss feels this fear. She hides under a bed in the back bedroom every time it storms. This is where she is when Bonnie Dee dies.
The unknown scares the people. They do not have an understanding of lightening and how it works so fear the unknown. This fear is in everyone and makes them act in ways that they would not normally. Fear brings out more primal instincts rather than intellectual ones.
