Nadine Gordimer's short story is brimming with symbolism. Here are some of the symbols and what they stand for.
The gold mine: In the frame story, the gold mine under the narrator's home that causes her house to shift and creak represents the stirrings of the "underclass" in the exploitative social system of apartheid. The white elitist culture is about to come crashing down due to the "uneasy strain" on South Africa's social fabric.
The wise old witch: The mother-in-law can stand for the political regime that promotes apartheid or for any influence that fosters racial or ethnic prejudice.
The walls, bars, and Dragon's Teeth: These barriers symbolize how fear produces isolation that creates a prison for the one who fears. The family first encloses themselves in a wall, then imprisons themselves behind bars, and finally confines themselves to a concentration camp.
The cat: The cat represents the creeping fear of the "other" that cannot be resolved. The cat manages to get over the wall and through the bars. At the end of the story, the cat represents foresight: It knows to look before it leaps, which is more than the humans know. The parents have not anticipated how their fear and prejudice will destroy the future.
The burglar alarms: These are most known for going off without good reason, showing that the fear the family has of "people of another color" is nothing but a "false alarm."
The son: The little boy represents the future, which the parents sacrifice to their fear. He also represents what is truly valuable as opposed to the material goods the parents try to insure from loss. They have become so focused on protecting their wealth and position in society that they neglect what is most important in life: connection to others, compassion, and love.
These are some of the symbols Gordimer weaves into her thought-provoking short story.
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