Images of Isolation
Patty lives an isolated life because she doesn't have any friend or support of her family members. Her father beats her ruthlessly. The images of loneliness and isolation have been demonstrated through the characters of Patty and Anton. Patty’s mother does not care about her and despite of having a family, she feels like an orphan child. Both Patty and Anton live their lives as prisoners in isolation. They remain alone in the secret room and share each other's loneliness. Patty lives an aloof life in her home and later in the reform school and Anton was isolated by US government in the isolation camp for the prisoners. No one takes care of her or share her inner struggle.
Images of Prison
The images of prison have been conveyed through the protagonist of the novel. Patty lives her life like an inmate and her house demonstrates the life of prison. She is confined by her father and the society. She is not allowed to live her life according to her wish. She is beaten like a convict and is abused constantly by her father. Arkansas, the place where patty lives, was the prison for the German soldiers and they were kept there like inmates. Anton Reiker, who was a prisoner of war, lives his life as an inmate in Arkansas and then escapes from the prison. While his stay there, he is threatened to kill by the society and patty saves his life.
Images of Cruelty
The novel is replete with the images of cruelty and death. Firstly, there is a description of war which includes killing and bloodshed. Then there are images of Patty's father beating her daughter mercilessly. The cruelty of society has been demonstrated through the oppression of Anton, who becomes confined in a room because of constant threat from the people around him. Later on, he is killed by the FBI agents and Patty is tortured and arrested by the same officers.
