“You can hand the knife to another person, betting with yourself how deep a wound he or she is willing to inflict. You can be the inflictor of the wound.”

In this quote, Yiyun Li uses a knife to symbolize the dangers that humans pose to one another’s emotions. The metaphorical knife being handed to another person is symbolic of the ways in which interactions are inherently risky. The quote frames love and relationships as both necessary and potentially toxic.

“Perhaps it is not his fault that I cannot get pregnant. The secrets inside me have not left much space for a fetus to grow.”

In this quote, Li uses symbolism to foreshadow Agnès’s reckoning with her childhood. The fetus represents life, and life can’t grow with Agnès’s secrets taking up space. This emphasizes society’s expectation for girls to become women who become mothers.

“This story of mine expired when I heard of Fabienne’s death. Telling a story past its expiration date is like exhuming a body long buried. The reason for doing so is not always clear to everyone.”

Because Agnès has long identified herself with childhood friend Fabienne, Fabienne’s death is a type of death for Agnès too. Though Agnès lives, her story is expired because Fabienne’s presence is what kept it alive. This quote speaks to the complex nature of storytelling. Agnès doesn’t know why she’s telling her story, introducing the push and pull of being a writer.