Sugar’s eagles are a motif used to emphasize the theme of hope and resilience. They are a symbol of freedom, and always appear in the novel when Sugar needs encouragement. On Eagle Day, Sugar is about to give up on her hunt for eagle eggs. However, she suddenly hears cawing overhead and sees “a bald eagle, flying free” (94). The sight fills her with joy and relief that she didn’t give up on her pursuit. Though Sugar initially went in search of one thing, what she found was even better. Similarly, she wants to build friendships and a happy life at River Road, but when the Wills are forced to sell it, she is given an even better option: She is given the chance to move north.

Sugar’s perspective is framed by the motif of the eagle. When the Chinese workers arrive in chains, she thinks, “Chains are awful. Like eagles with broken wings” (101). Once again, we see the eagle as a symbol of freedom. Another example is what people look like from a bird’s eye view. When all of the workers are gathered in the field for the first time, Sugar spies a bird in the sky: “A bird soars, its wings wide, fluttering against the blue sky.