Jinx's Name Symbol
Jinx believes himself to be a bit of a jinx on those he cares about or comes into contact with; for example, he blames himself for the death of a Manifest man, and also blames himself for the death of his friend Ned. He seems to view himself as a jinx and so his name symbolizes his image of himself.
Urban Myth and the Supernatural Motif
The bulk of Abilene's new knowledge about her father comes from the diviner whom she encounters after accidentally breaking her pot. The diviner senses that she is feeling abandoned and even seems to already know that she is Jinx's daughter. There is also a great deal of regard for "urban myth", in the the legend of the Rattler is built up and built up when in reality it is something that was made up by someone who saw a nun in the woods late at night.
World War I
World War I is a motif that is referred to constantly throughout the book. It first appears in the minds of the children, as Abilene believes that the Rattler must have been a German spy living in Manifest in 1918. The German spy is the predominant frame of reference when thinking of someone sinister. Later in the book we hear about the war through Jinx and Ned's experiences; Ned wants to enlist, under age, which demonstrates how passionate people were at the time to get involved and defend the freedoms of the country. He is killed during the war. Jinx therefore experiences at a very young age the death of a friend and is not able to deal very well with this. The war is still recent enough for most of the townspeople to remember it, and it still effects subsequent generations who did not actively participate or live through it.
Compass Symbol
Abilene treasures the compass that her father gave her because is is a symbol of both him and also of their connection or bond. A compass shows you direction, and identifies your true north. To Abilene the compass represents the direction that her father is in and also identifies him as her true north. Losing the compass causes her panic and upset because she feels like she has lost her father all over again.
Mine Owners Symbol
The mine owners are a symbol of greed and avarice, and also underhandedness. They are symbolic of the unscrupulous boss and of the way in which workers were taken advantage of by those with all the power. They are a symbol of the abuse of power, and despite the fact they are not particularly smart (one is duped into buying land because it has so called healing waters on it) they have all the power because they have all the money.
