In the novel Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid, the relationship between Annie and her mother can be very confusing and complicated at times. In the passage, symbols such as the thimble and the “black thing” play an important role in depicting the relationship between Annie John and her mother. Annie and her mother each have a black thing resting inside of them and when they begin to fight, the black things join together. The thimble rests inside of Annie and represents her sadness and her unwillingness to grow up and become distant from her mother. These symbols together help portray the relationship between Annie and her mother by showing that they have a mutual dislike for one another and how they are tired and depressed because of their quarrelling. The thimble in the passage plays an important role in depicting the relationship between Annie and her mother. “Inside, however, the thimble that weighed worlds spun around and around; as it spun, it bumped up against my heart, my chest, my stomach, and whatever it touched felt as if I had been scorched there” (Page 101). Jamaica King uses the stylistic technique of a metaphor (when comparing Annie’s sadness inside to a thimble) to show how Annie is feeling, which helps show the relationship between her and her mother. The thimble is a result of Annie’s sadness regarding her mom. Ever since they have been spending less time together, sadness has built up inside of Annie. In other words, the thimble is the effect of Annie’s mom