DMSO (symbol)
Barry is a traitor and a womanizer and therefore Ingrid decides to punish him. The chemical substance, which she uses to poison Barry, is called dimethyl sulfoxide, which also has the poison of the flower oleander. This poison is quickly absorbed into the skin, which leads to the lethal outcome. Sprinkling the poison in Barry’s house, Ingrid waits, when her ex-lover will be paying the price of his deed. DMSO symbolizes death, which is not possible to notice because of the fact that the poison is clear like water. This death is invisible and unexpected.
White Oleander (allegory)
Ingrid is a white oleander and her daughter should know how to survive beside this poisonous plant. Ingrid says that Astrid’s house is Ingrid, but it is not a stronghold, where Astrid can feel safety. This house even does not have a roof; all walls are in the thorns, the icy draft is walking through the empty rooms. Astrid is not so important for her mother, but if Ingrid tries to add Astrid to the list of valuable things, she will break or destroy her. From the point of view of morality, Ingrid is cruel and selfish. She poisons life of her daughter. It is a catastrophe to have such mother; it is a personal apocalypse to love such mother.
Jealousy, murder, sufferings (motifs)
If you properly analyze this novel, you can ultimately understand who is guilty of all sufferings and pain of the characters. Ingrid’s jealousy is guilty of all consequences. Her jealousy makes her to kill a man, who is not actually blame. Her jealousy makes her daughter suffer from lack of love and respect in foster families. Starr, who temporarily adopts Astrid, has lost her love, and Claire has lost her life. In this book, nothing happens by accident. There is a large chain of sufferings and pain that has appeared only because of the meaningless deed of Ingrid. If she got rid of her jealousy, every character would live happily.
