Throughout this novel, rain appears more than any kind of weather. The characters often use the image of rain to interpret their lives: Sparrow loves playing “Song in the Cold Rain” and Zhuli’s favorite book is The Rain on Mount Ba. Because characters must censor their emotions—in particular, their tears—rain, which physically looks like tears, has therapeutic value.

Symbolically, rain signifies either a big positive change, or a big negative change. For example, just before finding his way to Comrade Glass Eye, Sparrow notices a light rain falling. Locating Comrade Glass Eye is key to Sparrow understanding his family and his life, so in this instance, the rain presages a positive development. Conversely, on the day that Jiang Kai yells at the Professor, “rain smacked the concrete so hard it ricocheted up, hard as pellets” (236). Here, the rain seems to signify a big negative change.

Strikingly, on a day when Ai-Ming’s 18th birthday coincides with the death of one of the major Party officials, “Ai-Ming watched the rain for a long time” (348). This rain marks a change that at first seems like opportunity, but upon a closer look indicates a negative turn.