Cajas de Carton

Particularly early in the book, before Jimenez and Roberto have a conception of the realities of life as migrant workers in California, California is a symbol of wealth, opportunity, and success. For Roberto, the dream of California is equated with a life absent of hard labor, in a home with electricity, heat, and indoor plumbing. In "Under the Wire," the boys begin to question the idea that California is this miraculous place when they find themselves hungry in their first weeks in their new country. To them, California is a land of opportunity and wealth, and if they haven't yet found that they must not be in California. For Jimenez, California is a symbol of how many immigrants view America before their arrival–part of the work of the book is the deconstruction of this mythic version of California.

Many creatures appear in The Circuit, but butterflies are the most commonly referenced and are the most obvious symbol of hope, miracles, and new life. In "Inside Out," Jimenez watches the caterpillar in the classroom transform itself, slowly, into a butterfly as consolation in moments when he cannot understand the English instruction. The caterpillar reminds him of other caterpillars he has seen in the field.