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Symbols are objects, characters, figures, and colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.
Laura’s Polaroids
When Andy finds her mother’s secret storage unit, she finds several items that seem designed to allow for a quick “getaway,” including false IDs, a large amount of cash, and an untrackable car. Alongside all of these practical tools, Andy also finds a series of Polaroids that depict a much younger Laura. In the photos, Laura appears to have been savagely assaulted. Though Andy cannot explain the presence of these photographs in the car, several chapters that detail past events in 1986 shed light on the photographs. When Andrew Queller begins to doubt the violent plans of the Army of the Changing World, the group’s leader, Nick, shows him the photos. Nick claims that the photos show evidence of Martin Queller’s violent abuse of Jane (later known as Laura,) which helps to strengthen Andrew’s resolve to punish Martin. Jane later reveals, however, that while her father was indeed abusive, it was in fact Nick who assaulted her and then took the photos. The Polaroids attest to Nick’s abusive and deceptive nature, and the fact that Jane keeps the photos for decades, even after she enters the Witness Protection Program and becomes Laura, underscores their importance to her. For Laura, the photographs symbolize her painful past, and the life she has chosen to leave behind. While Nick once used the photos to manipulate Andrew, they now serve as a reminder to Laura that her relationship to Nick was defined by abuse, and that she should never return to him.
The Gun
A central mystery in Pieces of Her is the question of who planted the gun in the bathroom of the Oslo Convention Center. The original plan was for Laura Juneau to throw packs of blood-red dye at Martin, symbolizing the blood that is on his hands as CEO of QuellCorp, which provides inadequate mental healthcare while collecting public resources. However, when Laura goes to a restroom to find the dye-packs behind a toilet, as planned, she instead finds a bag containing a gun. She then uses this gun to shoot and kill Martin and herself during a scheduled panel at the conference. Back in California, members of the Army of the Changing World argue about who is responsible for planting the gun for Laura to find. Nick pretends that the assassination was part of his masterplan all along to maintain the illusion of control. Only much later in the novel does Jane acknowledge that she, not Nick, was responsible for planting the gun. After purchasing the small pistol in Germany, Jane spent days wavering on her decision before finally committing to her plan. The gun represents Jane’s determination to seek vengeance against her father and impress Nick, whatever the cost.
Yo-Yo
When FBI agents interrogate Jane, Andrew, and Nick in the Queller family home after the shooting in Oslo, Jane feels overwhelmed and walks outside the house to get some air. One of the agents, Agent Danberry, follows her outside and attempts to talk to Jane when she is alone, without her brother and boyfriend there to control her actions and words. Agent Danberry describes the techniques used by various famous cult leaders, including Charles Manson and Jim Jones. These charismatic cult leaders, Danberry suggests, brainwash their followers, manipulating their actions like a person playing with a yo-yo. Though no actual yo-yo appears in the novel, the image of a yo-yo sticks in Jane’s mind as she returns to the Army of the Changing World. Whenever Nick manipulates the feelings and actions of the group, Jane imagines him playing with them like a yo-yo, alternatively pushing them away and pulling them back in. Despite her initial opposition to him, Danberry proves to be quite effective in helping Jane to recognize the signs that she is being brainwashed by Nick, ultimately allowing her to free herself from the group.
