The Clay Marble

The clay marble of the novel’s title symbolizes the importance of resilience and hope in overcoming challenges. To comfort Dara after she has been bullied by Chnay, Jantu molds her a special gift: a big marble made out of clay, which she says is “magic.” Later, in the Khao I Dang hospital, she makes her a bigger, “more powerful” one. Dara, like many in her war-torn country, longs for stability, and at times of danger and uncertainty she strokes the perfect sphere with her fingers, with its magic seemingly giving her strength and guidance. A sphere is the strongest of all shapes, and for Dara, it represents a reservoir of strength that she can draw from. It is also important to her as a symbol of Jantu’s affection for her, and of her extraordinary creative powers, which, to Dara, seem nothing less than magical.

The marble is connected to a specifically feminine magic. Jantu creates it to replace the beautiful mobile destroyed by Chnay, which depicted women at one of their traditional tasks: pounding rice for their families. As such, it also symbolizes the strength, hope, and desire to nurture that goes into raising children and families.