Hunting Knife

At the start of the book, the hunting knife is symbolic of the trust and connection that Ben and Todd have towards one another. After Todd murders the Spackle, it becomes a representation of his guilt over the murder, and he constantly imagines the weapon to be bloodstained, showing his loss of innocence.

Journal

Just like the knife, the journal is symbolic of two things. The first is the love that Todd’s mother had towards him. The second is Todd’s trust towards Viola, since he eventually lets her read from the journal at the end of the book, something that he had initially resisted whenever she offered.

Burning Books

Mayor Prentiss had all of the books burned when he took over. This represents the control that he has over the town, since he was directly making it impossible for them to learn anything...