What is The Cast Iron?

The Cast Iron represents the Community's connection to their past in the City. It symbolizes the difference between themselves and animals. Although they give up most of their City possessions, they carry the heavy Cast Iron throughout their Wilderness journey because it makes cooking much easier. In the end, it is stolen by Adam, and they mourn the loss of it more than they mourn the deaths of some of their companions, which demonstrates its particular significance to them.