The Cellar

The flowers in the vases are recurring symbols in the novel. On one level, the flowers reveal the dichotomous halves of Clover’s personality. One part of Clover has an affinity for cut flowers, and his appreciation for their perfection and beauty is evident early in the novel. Another part of Clover, however, is capable of rage, threats, and physical assault when the flowers in the vases eventually dry and wither, which, of course, is inevitable for cut flowers. That he names the abducted young women after flowers and keeps those four types of flowers in vases in the cellar is evidence of his ability to think symbolically; in a more literary sense, the cut flowers in the cellar are metaphors for the women whose lives Clover has cut off from the outside world.

The symbolism of the flowers in the vases also extends to foreshadow what will eventually happen to the young women: Each one’s identity, spirit, and hope withers and dies the longer they are in the cellar, just like the flowers’ appearance. Meaningfully, Layal attempts to use one of the vases to overpower Clover, which symbolizes the rejection of a withering identity and resuscitates it through assertive decision-making and courage.