What is an example of symbolism in the novel, The Wrong End of the Telescope?

Smells symbolize memory. Alameddine uses a variety of sensations and experiences to emphasize the impact of physical separation from one’s homeland, and shows connections to characters’ past lives through smells specifically. A friend of Mina’s from Syria encourages her to buy a jasmine plant from Whole Foods in Chicago, suggesting that she must miss the smell of jasmine. However, Mina says that she “killed it within two months” (211), implying that she was unable to keep it alive in the Chicago climate. This shows both Mina’s desire for her past life in Lebanon with her family as well as her inability to fully give in to that desire, due to her damaged relationship with her mother.