Running
Even before the story begins—before even the Table of Contents—running is situated as being symbolic. A simple illustration precedes the text capturing Pax frozen in time as he leaps through the air and almost seems to be flying. The opening words of the story will intensify the symbolism: “Pax ran.” From there, the description of Pax running is forever equated with the state of freedom he has enjoyed for the past year since being set from the world of cages that comes with being a pet.
The Water Warriors
The Water Warriors are an organization which repurposes equipment and the workforce of the military in order to fix damage to the environment caused by the recently ended war. Peter’s grandfather is dismissive of them as “do-gooders” pretending to be real soldiers. With this perspective, they are immediately endowed with the symbolic status of unappreciated heroes in a society that equates heroism with violence and destruction.
Peter’s Cabin
Peter builds a cabin for himself on Vola’s property. With only a few absolutely necessary exceptions, alone was responsible for constructing every piece of it. The cabin becomes the symbol of Peter’s growing independence and maturity.
The Marshmallow Incident
The marshmallow incident occurs during a night of camping when Peter is roasting a marshmallow over the open fire. He lays the burnt treat to his side to allow it to cool, but Pax makes a go for it and winds up burning his snout. Peter views this incident as a failure on his part to protect his pet, but his father suggests that Pax might see it as precisely the opposite since Peter immediately took action to soothe the raccoon’s pain. That it turns out this is exactly how Pax did view things makes the marshmallow incident a symbol of the complexity of perception that can allow two completely different interpretations of the same event to both be valid.
The Reservoir
Pax notices that the water in the reservoir does not smell like any water he’s ever known. It carries no scent of the past like water from the sky or the always moving currents of a river. This lack of a past gives it a sense of something pristine. For Peter, the reservoir is broad and deep and filled with promise. For both animal and human, the reservoir becomes an optimistic symbol of the future.
