Metaphor for prosperity
In the second chapter, a new character is presented with the name Benton. The young man is a missionary sent to Ethiopia where he served as a missionary but he wasn’t received in the way he wanted. The people he meets were more interested in making sure that they had enough food to survive than to listen to the word of God. Before giving up, Benton dreams of a boy standing in the rain and after that he decides that he must remain in Ethiopia. The reason why he decides he must do that is because he was the heavy rain, a metaphor for prosperity.
Metaphor for possibility
The woodpecker is another important element because it represents possibility for the town. The woodpecker shows that the town is not as insignificant the people in the town thought it to be and it also brings forth the possibility of something greater happening for the town. Thus, the woodpecker is used here as a metaphor for possibility.
Cleansing
After the school year finishes, Cullen, Lucas, Gabriel and Mena all go to the lake to play in the water. Their action is important because it can be compared to a ritual of cleansing the boys and the Mena take at the beginning of a new period, namely the beginning of the summer holiday.
Like a black hole
In the third chapter, Cullen talks about the town he lives in and about how everything seems to return to it even after it disappears for some time. To highlight the pull the city has on people he compares it to a black hole that affects everything around it. Thus, Cullen highlights even more the idea that the little town is like a trap that cannot be easily escaped once a person walks into it.
Paralyzing grief
Another common motif is the idea that grief can be paralyzing for those experiencing it. Both Oslo’s mother and Cullen’s mother reacted in a similar way when they found about their children’s disappearance. While Oslo’s mother knew her son was dead, Gabriel’s mother reacted in a similar manner and became depressed and withdrew from the outside world. Both women locked everyone out from their lives and chose to let their grief consume them and burn them out completely.
