“The Blue Box was shut up like a tomb.”

The author sets the tone of the narrative by using figurative language to convey the sadness of the diner’s forced closure. Diners are typically bustling, noisy places full of life, but Gleason’s treacherous actions have physically shuttered its doors and metaphorically killed its spirit. The closure greatly affects Hope and Addie since it has left them without work.

“I can remember running up the welcome stairways at my house as a boy. My mother always said that the stairways symbolized how we must greet whatever changes and difficulties life may bring with firm faith in God.”

The idea of welcome stairways in Quaker culture refers to their belief in the equality of all people regardless of race or gender. People take the two sets of steps separately but come together at the top to enter the building, symbolizing unity. G.T. often refers to the Quaker values his mother imparted to him that guide not only how he runs his diner but also his political ethics and the way he deals with hardship.

“I’d written out my favorite definition of my name on a three-by-five card; I needed extra help in the hoping department.”

Hope has a small list of prized possessions, one of which is her dictionary. Hope often looks up words, even her name, and writes down the definitions and synonyms. The practice becomes a motif in the story but also symbolizes Hope’s quest to define who she is. She looks for concrete answers inside the dictionary but often finds them lacking in meaning.