What does the pomegranate tree symbolize?

• A. It symbolizes wealth and power.
• B. It symbolizes friendship, childhood innocence, and shelter; when seen later, bare and ruined.
• C. It symbolizes only the status of the family.
• D. It symbolizes nothing.

Answer: (B)

The pomegranate tree centers on the intimate space of Amir and Hassan’s friendship and the safety of their childhood. It marks a place where they share secrets, play, and feel protected from the world around them. When we see the tree again later, bare and ruined, it mirrors how that bond has been damaged and how the innocence and shelter of their youth have faded away under guilt and upheaval. So the best choice captures both the warmth of their early companionship and the later sense of loss, rather than pointing to wealth, status, or nothing.