Images

Mannequin

The image of the mannequin clothed in a red dress standing over the sleeping woman (Tabitha), represents several meanings. The mannequin itself represents a protector, a guardian angel, or the man missing from Tabitha’s life. The red dress was the one outfit of hers that had any color, but she refused to wear it. The red dress represents new experiences, risk, and discomfort.

Claws grasping baseball

This image is never actually seen in the book, but is imagined by John, after Owen returns his stuffed armadillo, with its claws missing. After Owen accidentally killed John’s mom, he sent John his baseball card collection. John, after Dan’s instruction, returned the cards to Owen along with the armadillo, an object of value to both him and Owen. Owen returned the armadillo, but with the claws missing, to represent what he took away from John (his mother). John imagines that in Owen’s room the baseball that killed his mother is grasped by the four armadillo claws. The image is representative of the mystery of Owen, his collective nature, and his ownership of the death of Tabitha. The claws represent the hands of God, which are believed to have brought Tabitha’s death.

Armadillo

The stuffed armadillo was a gift given to John from Dan, Tabitha’s eventual husband. It is greatly treasured by both John and Owen. It is the most mentioned image of the novel, and holds many significant meanings. For one, it represents the bond of friendship between Owen and John, as it is considered the ultimate sign of trust for John to leave it with Owen, and is used to reconcile Owen’s killing of John’s mom Tabitha. When its claws are removed, it represents John’s life after his mom’s death, as the armadillo is unable to stand up, representing the permanent damage to John. The claws represent the hands of God, which brought Tabitha’s death.

The Church

 The image is of the Congregational Church, a building that is described as simplistic, painted white with bright, open windows that offer views of the world around. This is presented in stark contrast with the Episcopal Church, which is shady, made of stone, and dim with stained glass windows. The church represents John’s view of religion, in that it should be focused less on fear but openness, as seen by the wide views to the world around from within the church,.