The Wall

In the two years that the protagonist spends inside the wall, she witnesses nature reclaim the world marred by human intervention. With no humans remaining, plants grow unburdened, with no care for the remnants of society. The greatest example of this is Hugo’s car, a symbol that reflects the theme of Nature as a Dominant Force. With nowhere to drive, the car sits outside the lodge, unused, where plants grow over it, transforming it into a new habitat for woodland creatures: “It was almost new when we came here in it. Today it’s overgrown with vegetation, a nest for mice and birds. Particularly in June, when the wild grape blossoms, it looks very pretty, like an enormous wedding bouquet” (185). 

The car has no defense against the power of nature, which repurposes the vehicle, making it into something new. The protagonist uses a simile, comparing how the car looks when the plants growing through it are in bloom as “an enormous wedding bouquet.” This description creates a connection between the car and a bouquet meant to symbolize the beginning of a new journey. Just as at a wedding, two people come together to begin a new life, so too does the car join with nature, becoming a home for animals.