From the beginning of the novel, the corn whispers to Finn. Ruby personifies the corn, meaning that she gives it human qualities. The fact that Finn can hear it makes Finn seem eccentric. However, the corn is revealed to others as a magical force, a symbol of the extraordinary in the ordinary. Corn captures the simple, rural setting. Corn fields are also haunting. They are a place to disappear into, the way Roza does.

Ruby also uses corn as a metaphor for development. When Petey starts attracting the boys’ attention, she says her body “popped” like a kernel of corn. The allure of the fields captures the mood and magical realism of the novel.

Petey’s work with bees shows her character: She handles them bravely and tries to mask when one stings her, just as she tries to mask when she’s hurt by other people. Bees are also a symbol of the town Bone Gap. Like the bees, the people of Bone Gap are forever abuzz about the latest rumors. Finn can’t tell most of the people apart.