Saucer of Loneliness Question

3. What does the "saucer" symbolize in Sturgeon's story? What is this symbolic significance suggesting about the human condition in the modern world?

The saucer ties quite succinctly with the idea of reaching out to someone unknown. This is what the female character in the story was also trying to achieve with her message bottles. In touching the life of someone completely foreign to the lifeform who sent the saucer out, the lifeform is able to make a connection across galaxies despite never seeing the receiver face to face.

When applying this kind of thought to the modern world, one can see the appeal of reaching out and helping others that one has never had a connection to before. Although the female character was distraught because no one understood her dilemma, the act of reaching out from one human being to another can bring a sense of togetherness to a widening community. In truth, even though she had been trying to commit suicide at first, the female character finds a sense of understanding when a stranger reaches out to her.

(Saucer of Loneliness can be read here.)