How does the author use symbolism in the novel, A Thousand Ships?

The author uses birds as a symbol of the future. Birds first appear when Creusa is trapped within the burning wreck of Troy, and in this instance they foreshadow her death, flying over her like carrion crows or vultures circling above their prey. Later, Cassandra watches birds snatching fish from the sea, symbolising the imminent deportation of the surviving Trojan women. Cassandra’s fixation on the birds, her enjoyment of their predictable patterns of behaviour, is a further indicator of their association with the future.