The basement in Paul’s vintage shop is a symbol of secrets and grief. When Mona spends afternoons at the shop, she starts exploring in the basement. She feels a mysterious draw to the space and soon discovers a treasure trove of boxes, mementos, papers, and envelopes there. She first excavates a lead figurine (which she later learns is one among many), and later finds photos and newspaper clippings of her grandmother. These objects are remnants of her grandmother’s life and offer Mona an attempt to reconnect with the woman she lost when she was three.

Mona doesn’t initially understand their significance, but her family stored these objects here after Mamie’s death by assisted suicide. Dadé no longer wanted his late wife’s belongings in his home because he didn’t want to think about her, for fear of focusing too much on his sorrows. The family resorts to years of secrecy in an attempt to protect Mona from the grief they are experiencing. Keeping these objects out of sight only compounds Mona’s grief. Once she insists her family go through the objects, she leads them toward healing. She compels her family to face the truth of what really happened and to make a way through their sorrow over losing Mamie.

Mona’s journal is a symbol of personal growth and self-possession. When Dadé first starts taking Mona to the Paris museums each week, she does not expect to learn so much about herself. She thinks the new pastime is an excuse to spend time with her grandfather and avoid regular psychiatry appointments. Over the course of the year, however, Mona gradually learns more about herself, developing an emotional literacy that’s more keen than that of the adults around her.

When she begins journaling, she is claiming her experiences and her emotional lessons in her own words. She is recording her time with her grandfather and reflecting on all of the artistic lessons she’s learned. The journal is emblematic of Mona’s growth. She is gaining insight into her own interiority and journaling lets her process what she is learning. This is why Mona feels so betrayed when Camille discovers and reads her journal: She feels as if her mother has invaded her personal space and stolen access to her private thoughts. The journal is a first act of autonomy, which her mother oversteps.