Every mythology seems to have some designations for the dog, as psychopomp
(Anubis, Cerebus, Thoth); dogs act as intermediaries between the two worlds, that
of the living and the dead, apparently identify sorcerers, perceive and guide human
souls, have a familiarity with the invisible powers, and, finally, ... they are guardians
of the underworld (Chevalier et al, 1994:297-298). Although Tim is intellectually
handicapped, he is the metaphorical therianthrope, serving as psychopomp for Mary
to a different level of awareness and understanding.
I n The Thorn Birds (1977), the use of symbols and images is also significant.
One important image, for example, is that of the spider, for Ralph often thinks of
Mary Carson as a spider, a symbol that reflects her maliciousness and weaving of a
web of evil. However, the web of the spider also evokes the fragility of a reality
that is no more than illusory and deceptive, an excellent analogy for the motives of
those in this story. Ralph, the priest, repeatedly views Meggie as a sacrament, in
keeping with his characteristic penchant to define things in religious terms; since he
cannot love Meggie carnally he must translate that love into religious terms. For
example, Ralph is aware of:
... that mouth alive under his, not a dream, so long wanted, so
long. A different kind of sacrament, dark like the earth, having
nothing to do with the sky (McCullough, 1977:388).
A few pages on Ralph actually thinks of Meggie almost in the terms of actual
transubstantiation of the Catholic mass:
Tomorrow morning I ’ll say mass ... but that’s tomorrow morning ...
there is still the night, and Meggie ... She, too, is a sacrament
(McCullough, 1977:394),
although he does think of her as ‘womanly’, one of the things he especially loves in
her (McCullough, 1977:313).
Another important symbol in this novel is the rose, particularly the “ ...
dusky, pale pinkish grey, the colour that in those days was called ashes of roses”
(McCullough, 1977:134). Roses and the colours pink and grey figure prominently in
this work: roses and pink are the primary symbols of rebirth and initiation into the
Mysteries (Chevalier & Gheerbrant, 1969:814), something that would not escape
McCullough’s attention. Grey, too, in colour genetics, is the first colour that humans
perceive; grey in which the real and the imaginary are kept in perfect balance
(Chevalier & Gheerbrant, 1969:456-457). The rose symbol is used again when
Meggie farewells Ralph who presses her pink rose between the pages of his missal,
his sacred prayers of daily office, as a romantic memento of Meggie, who