A Breath of Snow and Ashes

Ghosts make many appearances and have many implications throughout the novel. In the case of Governor Martin’s son, a ghost symbolizes parental grief over losing a child. Fear of the ghost of Hector Cameron, however, is a plot device, providing useful cover for Arch Bug to steal the gold from Hector’s tomb.

For Jamie, the ghost of Murtagh, his godfather, and of Jack Randall, his rapist, represent his connection to his past in both good and bad respects. For Claire, the appearance of ghosts, including Malva’s, shows her commitment to saving lives; those she cannot save haunt her. Jamie wisely advises Claire to welcome her ghosts, not to ignore them: “Let them come, and grieve them, Claire” (1217). One of the novel’s primary lessons is that one can’t keep one’s ghosts at bay; the characters must face their pasts.

The very first event of the novel is the burning of the Dutch family’s house. In addition, a future newspaper clipping indicates that Frasers will die in a house fire. These threats of fire haunt the text. As more and more houses burn, the apprehension of the Big House burning rises.

A burning home is a violent symbol that parallels the destruction of old ways through the American Revolution, revealing that things are never black and white, and many innocent people lost their lives in the forming of the United States of America—a “victory” depending on one’s