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62 pages 2 hours read

R. J. Palacio

Pony

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2021

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Symbols & Motifs

Lightning

Lightning symbolizes the hardships that Silas encounters, thereby developing The Journey of Self-Discovery and Personal Growth. Lightning helps shape Silas into who he is, both physically and emotionally. As a child, Silas shelters beneath a tree during a lightning storm, and when the tree is struck by lightning, the lightning inflicts a tree-shaped scar on Silas’s back that marks him as unique. After surviving the lightning strike, Silas also becomes emotionally unique because he feels that he has already overcome a nearly impossible challenge. As a result, he is more confident in his abilities to overcome future challenges as well. Whenever he is reminded of the fact that he survived a lightning strike, he feels a renewed sense of faith and confidence.

Lightning also symbolizes The Tangible Effects of the Supernatural. Surviving the lightning strike is so unlikely that it almost seems impossible, but there is nothing supernatural about lightning. This detail from Silas’s past implies that real events can be just as strange as supernatural ones. In the mid-19th century, the phenomenon of scars being imprinted onto the skin via lightning was still being studied, and although a few cases had been documented, the scientific principles behind it were not yet fully understood. This detail emphasizes that the difference between the real and the supernatural, or between science and magic, is a fine line. Processes that once seemed like “magic” may now seem like “science,” simply because humans now understand how they work. Silas’s brush with lightning highlights the murky distinction between the real and the supernatural and spearheads Silas’s process of self-discovery and personal growth.

Ghosts

Ghosts are the spirits or memories of people who have died but not yet moved on to the afterlife due to “unfinished business” that they did not complete during their lifetime (117). As such, ghosts symbolize The Tangible Effects of the Supernatural and The Impact of Love and Loss. In the world of the novel, ghosts are just as real as living humans, although most characters cannot see or hear them. With this detail, the narrative implies that what is “real” and what is “supernatural” cannot be determined by perception alone since human perception is flawed. Thus, Silas can see ghosts even though most other characters can’t, and their inability to see ghosts does not disprove the existence of ghosts.

Ghosts also symbolize the impact of loss and the power of love because they have a message to convey or a duty to fulfill. For example, Sheriff Chalfont’s sister, Matilda, remains a ghost because she wants to apologize to her brother for eating too much of their mother’s pudding. While seemingly trivial, this small apology is evidence of a deep love between the two siblings. Ghosts therefore symbolize the fact that love transcends loss and death. Ghosts also illustrate the opportunities that people miss during life, and their need to stay behind shows that regrets or lost time may “haunt” the dead just as ghosts haunt the living.

The Woods

The woods symbolize Silas’s impending adolescence and coming of age, highlighting The Journey of Self-Discovery and Personal Growth. When Silas visited the woods with Pa as a younger child, he was so terrified that he fainted and was unable to return there for years. At age 12, motivated by the desire to find out where Pa has been taken, Silas demonstrates courage and bravery by reentering the woods despite his fear. Silas’s process of self-discovery is not always easy, but he is now ready to face his fear and become more independent. Because the woods are dark and mysterious, they symbolize the fact that self-discovery can be confusing; just as Silas cannot clearly see through the trees, he also cannot “see” exactly who he is or who he will become. Instead, he must journey deep into the woods and overcome obstacles and hardships to learn the answers to these questions. In the woods, as in the journey toward personal growth, things are not always as they seem. For example, the numerous ghosts that Silas sees may seem terrifying, but they do not wish Silas any harm, whereas the real villains are the still-living outlaws. In the woods, Silas also begins to learn the truth about Pa’s past, which allows him to make the right decisions for his own future even in Pa’s absence. Because the woods are wild, dark, scary, mysterious, uncomfortable, and easy to get lost in, these qualities further symbolize Silas’s own journey of self-discovery and personal growth.

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