The clay marble of the novel’s title symbolizes the importance of resilience and hope in overcoming challenges. To comfort Dara after she has been bullied by Chnay, Jantu molds her a special gift: a big marble made out of clay, which she says is “magic.” Later, in the Khao I Dang hospital, she makes her a bigger, “more powerful” one. Dara, like many in her war-torn country, longs for stability, and at times of danger and uncertainty she strokes the perfect sphere with her fingers, with its magic seemingly giving her strength and guidance. A sphere is the strongest of all shapes, and for Dara, it represents a reservoir of strength that she can draw from. It is also important to her as a symbol of Jantu’s affection for her, and of her extraordinary creative powers, which, to Dara, seem nothing less than magical.

The marble is connected to a specifically feminine magic. Jantu creates it to replace the beautiful mobile destroyed by Chnay, which depicted women at one of their traditional tasks: pounding rice for their families. As such, it also symbolizes the strength, hope, and desire to nurture that goes into raising children and families.