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Symbols are objects, characters, figures, and colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.
Sophie’s Breakfast
Every morning, Sophie goes to the same bakery across the street and orders the same thing: a few small snacks and a quiche for her husband Jacques. Even after she receives her first blackmail letter, which rattles her nerves, Sophie continues with this daily ritual to keep up appearances and maintain the facade that everything is alright. Even after the dramatic events that take place on the evening of Ben’s disappearance, she dutifully stands in line at the bakery and repeats her order. Although she takes little pleasure in the food and eats hardly any of it in order to maintain her slim figure, Sophie’s breakfast order represents the normalcy, routine, and stability that define her married life. Though it gives her little joy or happiness, this monotonous ritual brings her a feeling of security.
Mimi’s Paintings
Mimi’s paintings symbolize her obsessive and occasionally destructive love for Ben. When Jess sneaks into her apartment during the Halloween party, she is shocked to discover dozens of paintings of Ben, including at least one nude portrait. That she paints Ben repeatedly speaks to her fixation with him, as does her attentiveness to the specific details of his body. Mimi, who has never actually slept with Ben, voyeuristically observes him from her window, even watching him undress and shower. Even more alarming to Jess is the fact that the eyes of the painting have been violently cut out. Previously, when Mimi discovered that Ben was writing a salacious article about her family, she was infuriated by the betrayal. After returning to her room, she thought about all the times that he looked at her with what she believed was love, and she violently slashed at the eyes in her paintings so that he could no longer "see" out of them.
The Concierge’s Photos
The unnamed Concierge is all but anonymous to the others living in the building, who pay little attention to her and treat her as if she is simply a piece of the furniture belonging to the building. In her small apartment, however, she has covered her walls with photographs of her daughter, Elira, and her previous life in Albania. As a little girl, Mimi sneaks into the Concierge’s apartment and marvels at the old photos, which suggest to her that the Concierge once lived a very different life. Ben also takes note of the photos, asking the Concierge about her daughter and her homeland. These photos represent the past, and more specifically, the vibrant past life that is left behind by immigrants.
The St. Christopher Medallion
When Jess searches for evidence of foul play in Ben’s apartment, she is alarmed to discover his St. Christopher medallion wedged between the floorboards. She herself wears an identical chain, both gifts from their mother prior to her death. St. Christopher is, in Catholic thought, the patron saint of travelers. Though neither sibling is particularly religious, both always wear their medallion. The St. Christopher medallion, then, represents the link that Ben and Jess share, as well as their connection to their mother.
