Ada’s clubfoot
Ada's clubfoot symbolizes Mam’s hatred for her. Mam always reminds Ada that she has a disability and should not attempt to leave the house. According to Mam, Ada is an embarrassment to the family, and no one should see her deformed foot. Whenever Ada looks at her feet, she remembers that her mother hates her. When Ada goes to the countryside and interacts with other children freely, she learns that she can walk and do tasks without help. At this point, Ada concludes that her mother intentionally neglects her and treats her badly without good reason.
Blood
The blood symbolizes Ada’s determination to walk. Whenever Ada is alone, she tries to walk, but in the process, she injures her foot, and blood spills on the floor. When Ada realizes that blood is on the floor, she quickly covers it to prevent her mother from seeing that she has been trying to walk around the room. Ada's mother is a sadist who does not believe that Ada can walk. If the mother discovers Ada is trying to walk, she will beat her mercilessly.
One-roomed apartment
The one-roomed apartment symbolizes poverty. Ada, Jamie, and their mother live in a stuffed one-room. Throughout the book, the reader realizes that Ada and Jamie do not have access to luxuries like other children. Instead, they live with an angry mother who relieves her frustrations on them. When Ada and Jamie go to live in the countryside, they experience a new ambiance because Susan gives them the luxuries that their mother did not manage to provide.
