Crash

The airplane crash symbolizes the tragedy of untimely death. Edward is the only survivor of the crash. Meanwhile, Crispin is the only person who would have died on the plane even if it had not crashed. After the crash, Edward must live with the trauma of losing his family, and of the crash itself. Moreover, Edward becomes aware of the grieving of the many relatives of the 191 passengers who died.

Media Coverage

The media coverage and public scrutiny of Edward symbolizes the burden of public personhood. Because Edward is the sole survivor of the crash, people view Edward as a representative of hope and perseverance. However, Edward dislikes the media attention and public scrutiny, as it makes it more difficult to simply continue on with his own life and his process of grieving.

Gardening

In the novel, gardening represents the gradual process of emotional healing. At...