"Animal Dreams" is a novel rich in symbolism. There were symbols relating to Grace"s past, Codi's relationship with Hallie, and life. The references to bones in "Animal Dreams" were also symbols. The bones symbolize memory and death. For example, the "skeletons of cows" (7) in chapter two symbolize the memory of war and the Nazi's ruthlessness. In this instance, the bones were buried and dug up at a later time, which then makes the farmers remember and even benefit from the event. The bones of the cows also represent the deaths and casualties caused by the Germans. .
Another example is Cosima's stillbirth. She describes the bones of her baby as "liquefying, [and] leaking out" (52). Here, she is trying to forget her stillbirth. The bones that spilled out of the child's body portray its death and forces Codi to relive that memory. By letting the bones leak out into the water, she is mentally trying to block out the memory of the event. The remains of Hallie's death, her bones, were also a symbol. Not only do the bones symbolize Hallie's death, but they represent the memory of Hallie. Although she is gone, she still lives in the memory of Codi.
There were also a myriad of other items that represent memories. Doc Homer's photographs and the afghan both represent a recollection. These symbols in "Animal Dreams" can have many different associations. The many "bones" in the book suggests a further meaning. They may symbolize death like the death of Hallie, or they may symbolize memory, the memory of Codi's miscarriage. .