From the first sentence of “White Angel,” shifts in perspective mirror how the family’s identity as a group will split and fracture under the weight of their tragedy. The first-person plural in the first paragraph establishes the importance of family as a theme for the story: “We were four […] We are not a fruitful or many-branched line. Our family name is Morrow” (1). This plural then shifts to the sensitive, introspective first-person singular perspective of Bobby Morrow. This move from the collective “we” to the singular “I” echoes the fragmentation of the family themselves as they are impacted by disappointment and loss. They will all be marked in some way by Carlton’s death, and their family unit will not be the same as they each retreat into their own separate sadness.

Setting is among the most fundamental constituents of the story’s symbolism. From the first page, Cunningham depicts the proximity of the cemetery, which borders the land next to the Morrows’ house. This presents dynamic symbolism: The cemetery is a playground for Carlton and Bobby, and while it symbolizes loss, it is also a place of beauty, imagination, and experimentation.