Rings Symbol Analysis

Throughout “Clay,” the characters play Hallow Eve games in which they select objects that are supposed to foretell their future. In these games, selecting a ring symbolizes a coming marriage—but for Maria, rings symbolize a future that she wants, but which is out of reach. While most of the characters in the story see the straightforward association between rings and marriage and think no more of it, for Maria, a ring represents the marriage (and therefore the happiness and belonging) that she does not have and perhaps never will. Lonely and sad as she grows older without a husband, Maria clearly longs for the feeling of connection and security that a wedding ring may bring, but her social isolation and her insistent repression of her own feelings make it impossible for her to get what she wants. During a Hallow Eve tea at the laundry, one of the women jokes that Maria might find a ring in her piece of cake. While this woman likely doesn’t mean any harm, this joke is hurtful to Maria, not only because she really does want a husband (though she will not let herself admit it), but also perhaps because the woman’s attitude toward finding a ring is so casual. For her, a ring is a simple representation of marriage and an object in a game, but for Maria, not having a ring is ostracizing and devastating. Later on, at the Donnellys’, one of the next-door girls selects a ring as part of the Hallow Eve game, while Maria selects a lump of clay, symbolizing impending death. The contrast between Maria’s and the girl’s selections demonstrates that, while Maria may be surrounded by young women who are eligible for marriage, she herself will likely remain unmarried. Thus, while the ring represents marriage, it also represents a future of happiness and belonging that Maria will not have.