Symbols

 The short story “To Feed the Night” by Philip Hensher is filled with symbols, each of which has a different meaning.

The apartments

The first apartment the couple moves into symbolises happiness and modesty. At first, the spouses are happy with their purchase, so they invite their friends over to show them the flat. Before noticing that the apartment is “narrow” (l. 28),...

...

The houses

The house – which is the third place the couple moves into – symbolises the emptiness in the spouses’ relationship. The house is “half-empty” (l. 242), many of the rooms are not used, and the...

...

The couple's friends and Mr Bell

The couple’s friends symbolise the voice of reason. At first, they sincerely admire the couple’s modest flat, although it is quite small and narrow. As they are further invited to admire the new properties, the friends ask why the couple needs so much space, but they are always silenced.

...

Moreover, here we discuss the symbolism of the drawer, the box, and the urn.