Lola in the Mirror

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of graphic violence.

The river symbolizes fate. A constant backdrop, the river serves not just as the setting but also as a catalyst for many events: Erica’s death, the flood, and Lola’s victory over Flora Box. The museum label of one sketch notes that the figures in the drawing “are floating inextricably and irreversibly towards their fate” (280). They are drawn toward destiny by the water, a force that cannot be controlled. Furthermore, the day Lola and her mom sit by the river, the woman observes, “All that rain we’ve had, rushing down from the mountains and stirring up our sleepy brown snake” (43). This comparison of the water to a snake highlights the unstoppable force of the river. The water can be calm like a sleeping snake or dangerous when that snake is awakened. In this case, the water’s violent flow is inevitable and simply part of life. However, that unavoidable current is not always terrible, for once, Lola describes “the mud-brown river twinkling at night like it could be the cleanest river in the world” (231). The twinkling possibility of clean water represents the potential for life to be wonderful.