Animals are symbolic of humility, innocence and service. When families flee the hurricane, hundreds of pets are left behind. Many people thought they’d be back, of course, but when they weren’t able to return, their pets died from neglect. Zeitoun notes that even the animals that were able to reach higher ground were overcome by the flood. Zeitoun makes it a point not only to find the abandoned dogs in his neighborhood, but to feed them and show them a measure of kindness. In this sense, animals are no different than humans. They need to be rescued and looked after as well, and yet little thought was given to them. Zeitoun even witnessed horrible abuses done to animals during the disaster, injustice he couldn’t comprehend  

The subversion of gender roles is most evident in Kathy’s case. Raised in a Christian household, Kathy decided as an adult to convert to Islam. Her demeanor is a far cry from stereotypical representations of Muslim women as docile and quiet. One example of this is when she curses at the group of teenagers who were harassing her and trying to rip off her hijab. Kathy is also the face of their company, dealing with all the administrative and logistical elements of the business.