Haircut (Symbol)
Bug's haircut is symbolic of his discovery of his actual gender identity. Bug finally feels comfortable when he looks in the mirror and sees himself with a shaved head. Before, looking at himself in the mirror filled him with distress, as he felt like the girl he was seeing was not actually who he was. The haircut allows him to embrace his true self and finally experience a sense of connection with his body and appearance. In this way, Bug's haircut symbolizes his joyful gender discovery.
Dress (Symbol)
Bug's various dresses symbolize his entrapment in the appearance of the wrong gender. Bug repeatedly says that dresses make him feel uncomfortable, like he is not himself. At the wake, he says it feels as though there is a force field around his body. Later, while riding his bike, he says that he feels like he's observing a body that is not his. Bug's discomfort around dresses suggests to the reader that he feels trapped in women's clothing. The dresses represent Bug's feelings of suffocation in the outward appearance of femininity.
Haunting (Motif)
Haunting is a prominent motif throughout the novel. Bug describes how their house has always been haunted, but how recently it has felt different as he is now grappling with the loss of his uncle. He notes that now it is not only haunted by strange cold spots but also by small reminders of Roderick's absence. When he actually begins to appear and tries to communicate with Bug, Bug continues to struggle with the loss, as he wants to know what final message Roderick's death prevented him from delivering. The house is haunted in a literal and metaphorical way, as Bug sees signs of his spirit, while also missing him acutely. Through the use of this motif, the book shows how the supernatural elements of the story sharply reflect its more realistic concerns.
Names (Symbol)
Names take on a great deal of significance throughout the book. Bug never likes to be called his female birthname and holds onto the childhood nickname of Bug. He describes how he feels about his body, as he floats above it, observing his female form which never seems right. At the book's end, he remembers his uncle's middle name, Tommy, and decides it is a nice and appropriate name. Bug's move away from his birth name to his nick name and finally towards this new name, reflect the different steps in his progress towards his true gender.
Nightmares (Symbol)
Bug has a series of disturbing nightmares. In one, he is a skeleton putting on makeup. In another, he is being crowded and crushed by mannequins who resemble his friends. In another, he is forced to put on a bunch of dresses and feels crushed and itchy. These dreams symbolize Bug's fears about becoming a woman and approaching adolescence, as they reflect different aspects of femininity that make him uncomfortable.
