The prominence of clocks in Daisy Darker symbolizes the passing of time and mortality. Nana’s 80 clocks in the hallway of Seaglass represent her age. They also serve as a reminder of the prophecy that she will not live to see her next birthday. The varying designs of the timepieces represent significant events in the novel. The factory punch clock is a reminder of how much time has passed since the Darker family was last together. The hourglass incorporating sand from Blacksand Bay is a memento of the events that took place at the Halloween beach party in 1988. Meanwhile, the macabre cuckoo clock, featuring a woman who chops off her husband’s head, foreshadows the violent events to come. Time plays a crucial role in the novel’s plot as the murder victims are killed on the hour, and the chapter headings provide a countdown to low tide. The constant soundtrack of the ticking clocks emphasizes the threat to the characters’ lives as their time literally runs out.

The motif of broken hearts is introduced in the first line of Daisy’s narrative. The protagonist has what she terms a “broken heart,” both literally and metaphorically.