The seal that Delsie sees at the beach is an important recurring symbol that represents maternal love and its absence. Delsie calls the mother seal returning to her pup “Madre Seal” because she hears a young boy at the beach call her madre, the Spanish word for mother. The sight of the seal returning to her pup saddens and frustrates Delsie, as it reminds her that her mother has never returned to her. This strengthens Delsie’s feeling that her mother has not returned because there is something wrong with her.

After breaking her mother’s picture frame, Delsie finds a seal picture frame that she immediately associates with Madre Seal. Delsie refuses to buy the frame, but she unwillingly receives it as a gift from its seller, who slips it into her bag. Initially, Delsie feels uncomfortable with the frame because it reminds her of the absence of her mother. However, as Delsie learns why her mother left and grows to appreciate Grammy as the primary maternal figure in her life, Delsie comes to accept the seal and its symbolism. Her act of placing Grammy’s photograph in the seal frame represents her

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