One of the most distinctive traits of Rose’s characterization is her interest in homonyms (although she points out that technically many of the “homonyms” are in fact homophones—knowledge that reveals Rose’s attention to detail). Rose refers to homonyms as “pairs” and “trios,” language that evokes groups of people as well as objects. This double meaning has emotional significance to the story because Rose’s family originally consisted of a trio (herself and her parents) and is currently made up of a pair (herself and her father). However, Weldon symbolically fills Rose’s mother’s empty place, partially reinstating the trio, and eventually Weldon and Rose make up their own two-person family. It is telling that Rose values homonyms with more “matches” than one homonym, which is symbolic of her desire to be part of more meaningful relationships than the problematic father-daughter dynamic apparent with Wesley. Rose points out that even the word “pair” is part of a homonym trio—“The word pair implies two, but it is part of a homonym trio—pair, pear, and pare” (18), again attempting to articulate a desire for more connections between apparently disjunct items or people.

Rose also uses homonyms to help her understand and navigate the world.