The Submission

The Garden is the most important symbol in the novel. Just like the lines Mo draws for Claire when Paul organizes a meeting between them, the Garden means something different to everyone who knows of it. To Claire, in fact, it means two things. At first she imagines it as a lovely place where she, her children, and other families can celebrate their loved ones in a peaceful, natural environment. Later she regards it as an entrance point for further invasion, as something poisonous. To Mo, it’s just a garden. It is not a place for Muslim martyrs, and it does not symbolize invasion. It is just a very beautiful garden for mourners designed with love, care, and consideration.

One symbolic moment when Mo connects with Islam is in the scene in which Alyssa Spier questions him about his beliefs. In the background is a crescent moon, the signal that Ramadan is over. The represents how his heritage will always be part of him, whether he identifies as American or Muslim or both.