Johnny’s gold ring is a symbol of greed and illusion. The Ardnakelty men convince themselves that they will not let Johnny swindle them when he returns home. However, as soon as Johnny and Rushborough play on Ardnakelty’s dreams of wealth, the gold ring serves as a lure to hook them into Johnny’s con. When Rushborough tells the men that the ring is a family heirloom made with the gold from Ardnakelty, the men fall into Rushborough’s trap willingly because they want to believe that wealth is attainable. Even though Johnny later reveals that he bought the ring at a pawn shop, the story that Johnny and Rushborough weave around the ring emphasizes the illusion of the gold. The Ardnakelty men let their greed guide them as they choose to believe in the lies of Johnny and Rushborough rather than listen to their intuition.

The Ardnakelty mountains are a symbol of isolation and ostracization. The Reddy house is the only home on the mountain, which adds to Ardnakelty’s disparaging view of them. The mountain symbolizes the loneliness that Trey experiences when she goes into Ardnakelty. Even though Cal warns Trey about walking on the mountain at night because he thinks she could fall into a ditch, she knows the mountain so well that she ignores his advice.