Flag
The title of the book references the fawn that Jody adopts as a pet and is named Flag. The timeline of the narrative covers the year in which Flag grows from a fawn into a full-grown deer. This process of maturity transforms the animal from something needing protection to something that needs to be protected against. The parallel that is drawn between Flag and Jody is symbolic as the yearling represents the transformation from childhood to adulthood which Jody also experiences over the course of that year.
The Spaniards
The imaginative fabulist, Fodder-wing, tells a fanciful story to Jody about being able to see Spanish conquistadors hiding within the grove of large magnolia trees. He describes them as riding black horses while wearing shiny helmets. The story is set in Florida where the first European settlers were from Spain. That Fodder-wing knows of their one-time existence and imagines he can see them still hiding in the area transforming them into symbols of transcendence. The Spaniards hiding among the magnolias represent the present-day impact of a past that no longer actually exists.
The Fluttermill
Jody builds a small mill on the creek and is filled with childish delight to watch the wheel turning and operating just like an actual full-sized mill. The scene is described as one of enchantment borne from youthful exuberance and imagination. Later in the story, Jody will return to the mill only to find it has been washed away. When he builds a replacement, the enchantment fails to reappear, and he winds up kicking it to pieces. The flutter-mill at this moment becomes a symbol of lost innocence and the inability of adults to ever return to that state of youth exuberance over things that once brought unbound pleasure.
Slewfoot
Slewfoot is a black bear. When first introduced into the narrative, he is a thing of excitement and power to Jody. He fails to recognize the danger presented by the bear. Later in the story, Slewfoot reveals his danger in explicit detail. The bear comes to symbolize the recognition of the threats in the world which can be alluring and exciting to the inexperienced mind.
The Rattlesnake
A rattlesnake surprises Jody and his father by suddenly striking and biting Penny. The strike comes as a surprise to the reader as well. There is no tension created by providing an awareness of the snake. The serpent seems to enter the narrative from nowhere just it seems to appear to strike from out of nowhere. The staging of this scene effectively replicates the emotions of the characters and underlines the symbolism of the rattler as a representative of unseen dangers capable of introducing the potential for tragedy without warning.
