In the novel, Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez, there are many symbols that represent love. Gabriel uses symbols like flowers, birds and rain to describe the effects of love throughout the book and represents or foreshadows anguish. Florentino was so in love with Fermina, the only way he could deal with it was by eating flowers. Flowers represent the agony of love and the further suffering Florentino encounters. They also represent hope and love for Florentino. It was like Fermina was the flower petals and Florentino consumed the flower petals as in to consume all the affection and rejection he was receiving from Fermina.