What does autumn represent in the novel, How to Read the Air?

Autumn symbolizes the transition between new and old, the opportunity for life beyond one's complicated past. Though Mariam initially thinks she will dislike the season because of its close relationship with death, she eventually finds beauty in it, realizing that it ultimately allows for new life. Jonas often reflects on the season, imagining how its beauty would have affected his mother's state of mind, likening its transitory qualities to that of spring. These seasonal parallels act as representations of change and renewal, as Jonas gradually reconciles himself with his past.