Closure in a Wooden Chest

Authors note: In the book Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine I was looking for symbolism in the text.

Everything in the life of a Caitlin, a fifth grade girl is hard. Especially because she has Asperser’s syndrome she see the world in a certain way, black and white. On top of that her older brother was killed in a school shooting in the middle of his achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. Now left with only her father she is left to discover things like making new friends and finding closure.  

Caitlin isn’t the best at talking let alone being near people. Now she is stuck in a bad situation without anyone to actually talk to beside Devon, and the school counselor. Devon and the counselor are almost like guardian angels. They protect her and give her advice so that she might be able to make some friends and understand the world better.

Devon wasn’t just an angle; he was also glue that held their family together. Once he passed he wasn’t able to finish his Eagle Scout project, which was to make an extremely difficult chest. This chest symbolizes closure because it was kind of like his parting gift. If they wouldn’t have finished it they would have been able to go on with their lives.

Catlin finds closure just like Melinda from the book Speak. Both of the girls are struggling through their stories trying to restore balance in their lives. One of their troubles was the search for friends. Another similarity is what they are going through, not everyone has Asperser’s syndrome and has a brother that got shot in a school shooting. Same with Melinda, she got raped which isn't something that happens to someone in high school.

Overall Catlin showed me more than I though.  It showed me to not take things for grant because there are people going through worst. Also that closure come in things you wouldn’t expect, like a wooden chest.