The family home
The action described in the first part of the memoir takes place in the family home, the place where the narrator lived together with his parents for 20 years. The family home is important for the character and is also the place where he suffered the most. The family home is also used here as a metaphor, used to represent the traumas of the past.
Metaphor for confinement
The only characters who are married are the parents of the narrator who eventually both die a tragic death. The narrator does not have a good impression of marriage due to the relationship his parents had. Because of this, marriage is used here as a metaphor for confinement.
The woods
At one point during the memoir, the narrator looks towards the woods and meditates on how it looks and how it makes him feel. The image of the forest is often invoked by the narrator and because of this, we can claim that it is used here as a metaphor for the freedom the narrator would like to experience.
The beach
After the narrator's parents died, he and his siblings moved to another city in order to have a new start. During the first few months in the new city, the narrator spent his free time on the beach together with his younger brother. The beach is extremely important for the narrator and is used here as a metaphor for a carefree attitude.
Metaphor for safety
The narrator came from a relatively poor family and they never had a lot of money growing up. The lack of money he experienced got translated into a lack of financial security and a constant sense of insecurity. The narrator is extremely interested in gaining as much money as he can, thinking that this will bring him safety and security. Because of this, money is used here as a metaphor for safety and financial security.
