Mr. Griffin’s college ring is used a symbol in the latter part of the novel. Dave steals Mr. Griffin’s college ring before burying him, literally prying the ring off cold, dead hands. This is a symbolic violation: Mr. Griffin is not only dead, but his belongings are taken away from him, desecrating his body. The impulse to steal the ring is symbolic of Dave’s poor coping mechanisms with the abandonment of his father. The ring is a symbol that makes Dave feel closer to his father, but it is also a fallacy that the ring brings Dave in proximity to his father. The ring is also used as an object that propels the narrative. By stealing and keeping the ring, Dave makes himself susceptible to being found, which is what leads Mark to murdering Dave’s grandmother for the ring.

A motif in this novel is exteriority versus interiority. Many characters nurture a juxtaposition between their outer appearance and their inner truth. On the outside, Susan is awkward, unattractive, and nerdy, but these physical qualities belie her intelligence and good moral code.