"The girl on the summit of the load sat motionless, surrounded by tables and chairs with their legs upwards, backed by an oak settle,

Perhaps there would be dazzling changes in the lifes of many. The girl would play the central role in the events, taking place. She would be the focus of attention. These changes would be partially without her control and will.

We can say these changes would be a burden, a source of grief. “Sitting motionless” denotes that; she would be in desperate straits because of her thoughtless acts and irresistible drives. See, after all those motions, she would sit motionless. She would be captured by her wrong doings…

With the future events, the psychologic and psychic dynamics of her inner world would take a new form and character. Like those chairs and tables upside down, her established thoughts, emotions and attitutes will change. Her former way of thinking will be of no use and not dependable any more. Probably a new consciousness will arise in the end.

During these turmoil and fluctuations, she would be backed by a reliable, strong force. The "oak settle" here implies Gabriel Oak’s supporting. She will be settled by his backing and will have a relief.

,and ornamented in front by pots of geraniums, myrtles and cactuses, together with a caged canary- all probably from the windows of the house just vacated." (p.4)

The plants here may signify emotions like admiration, love, affection, joy of life, felt at the level of consciousness. The plants with their natural charms evoke such feelings in us, we are not very much aware of due to the rutin chores of everyday life. These flowers are not kept at the window of the old house any more. They will get the attention of many people and evoke similiar thoughts and feelings in them.

The caged canary here may imply innocent, ingenuous feelings of the heart. It may sembolize the most delicate and sensitive perceptions or vulnerable aspects hidden in us. Let me give you a little footnote. The early coal miners carried a caged canary into the mines, as “an early warning device”. They are more sensitive to the deadly fumes. If there was a gas leak, the canary would die, alerting them to the danger of explosion. Like wise sometimes the most intuitive and sensitive sides of us could be life saving in life!