Sharp objects are found frequently throughout the novel as a way to demonstrate Camille’s inability to deal with heightened emotional states. Sharp objects represent an emotional release for Camille. For example, immediately after Camille’s mother tells her that she doesn’t love her, she stares at the knives in the knife drawer. While she doesn’t use the knives, the fact that she contemplates using them indicates that she can’t handle her emotional state. Of course, this is what ultimately led to her cutting in the first place—her inability to find a healthy outlet for the emotional pain that struggled to surface.

Another sharp object that represents a significant moment in the novel is when Camille talks about her college roommate. Her roommate’s mother gave her “a big plastic bag of safety pins that she thought might come in handy, and when they left for lunch, I surprised myself by bursting into tears” (96). Here, the safety pins, an object Camille had previously used to cut herself, are viewed as a symbol of love between a mother and daughter. 

Alcohol, like the use of sharp objects, signifies Camille’s inability to cope with her reality and plays a large role throughout the novel.