Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.

Fish

Although it feels obvious that fish must be a symbol in the novel, there are interesting nuances to tease out. In this novel, fish represent the ego – specifically for Edward, his spirit, his desire to be known and appreciated, and his conception of himself. From his earliest days, Edward wants to be a “big fish in a big pond.” When the flood hits Ashland, Edward “just kept fishing, just fishing” until he catches an enormous catfish, or rather, the fish catches him and eventually tosses him ashore. As an adult, Edward becomes a sailor and nearly dies when the Nereid is hit by a torpedo. He sinks underwater, breathing through his own body like a fish. While he is sick with cancer, Edward practically lives in his swimming pool, like a fish. When he passes out, Will thinks Edward is a fish. All of Edward’s “fish stories,” though they’re incredible, don’t even compare to what happens to him in the end. Edward figuratively—and literally—becomes a fish when Will releases him into the river. In the end, his physical body fails him. He becomes an ego, plain and unfettered, all spirit, all heart.

The Glass Eye

The chapter titled “The Old Lady and the Eye” contains one of the novel’s most specific symbols: a magical glass eye. The glass eye represents a person’s ability to see reality for what it is. Although made of glass, Edward claims that the eye could see. The eye calls the fraternity brothers together, and Edward bargains his eye for the glass one. His landlady, the owner of the eye, shows up at the barn where the fraternity brothers gather, and the boys see their futures. In response, they scream, cry, and stare. The glass eye is part of a woman, and yet it's separate. Like Edward, the glass eye is all-seeing yet blind at the same time. The eye is a dichotomy, a combination of technology and biology. In a novel that's about seeing reality—and also avoiding it—the glass eye is a clever device.

Black Dogs

A common representation of depression, black dogs appear in several of the novel’s chapters. Some historians credit Winston Churchill for first using this metaphor. Churchill often referred to his “black dog” when he felt unmotivated or melancholy. It is an effective symbol because depression can feel like an ominous, even vicious presence that can follow a person around and track his every move. For example, in the place that has no name, a black dog threatens the people by biting off their fingers and keeping them in a stagnant existence. The dog is a gatekeeper who cannot be trusted, but he licks Edward’s hand instead of biting it. Edward befriends the black dog who eventually follows him to a lake and curls up beside him. In “His Three Labors,” a black Helldog terrorizes the neighborhood, but Edward tears out the dog’s heart after it lunges at a little girl. Wallace uses this symbol to suggest that the dog may stalk someone and be destructive or deadly. However, the dog can also be tamed or even killed.