How does the author use symbolism in the novel, Visitation of Spirits?

The novel's opening section features Horace's ritual summoning of a demon in order to permanently transform himself into a Black Bird; this symbol represents Horace's desire to escape the narrow-minded and homophobic conditions of the Cross family and his hometown of Tims Creek. Black Birds are a common feature of Southern Gothic literature, thus representing A Visitation of Spirits as a novel of this genre.