What are themes and symbolism of the story?

Set in the Dominican Republic of the late 1930s, The Farming of Bones explores personal, cultural, and nationalistic identity, class and gender conflict, and prejudice. The title itself could be seen as a double metaphor, referring both to the hardness of the sugarcane during harvest time and as a memorial to those who lost their lives during such a turbulent period in the nation’s history. Danticat uses inanimate objects, as well as natural elements, as metaphors and symbols throughout the novel. Prevalent among these is the element of water, perhaps because of the multiplicity of its very nature.
For example, water is often depicted as a portal, conjoining the realms of the living and dead. Its relative calm or turbulence can represent individual or collective emotional states, while its lack of clarity and/or depth might foreshadow ominous events to come. Rivers and streams, since they often form boundaries, can also represent impediments to freedom. Water, depending upon how it is being used and in whose hands, can be either a force for healing or destruction. Still water is also a mirror in which an individual sees him or herself. Lastly, water is also often used to symbolize the passage of time or change. All of these relate to events within the novel and, like the landscape, help shape its characters.