Symbolism In Cold Darkness

On a societal level, Ness crafts the monster to symbolize the grieving process Conor undergoes. Grief is a painful process many experience when facing the loss of a loved one; with the tree’s assistance, Conor develops throughout the text as he transitions from denial to anger as well as forgiveness and acceptance. In the beginning of the novel, Conor’s first interaction with the monster resulted in yew tree leaves scattered throughout his floor; contrasting from his usual nightmare, the barrier between fantasy and reality merged. In this particular scene, the yew tree leaves signify the impending death of Conor’s mom because they are poisonous. In turn, this poison is also symbolic to Conor because his mom’s death has deeply affected him. …show more content…
In the novel, the term “cancer” is never mentioned, showing the difficulties Conor had with facing his mom's sickness. Although he knew his mom was not going to make it from the beginning, he would lie to himself continuously as a coping mechanism for ignoring the pain. As a result, these lies changed Conor into withdrawn and violent, weakening the relationship with his mother. However, as he develops throughout the book he faces his nightmare, in which he lets go of his mom at the cliff. In the text the nightmare is described as “cold darkness” (195) filled with “impenetrable forest” (197), symbolizing isolation, despair, and death. Within the text the nightmare signifies Conor’s moral dilemma. He feels guilty and shameful for wanting his mother to die; however, only wishes it so their pain would end. Conor’s guilt increases because he thought her worsening state was his fault; however, upon speaking the truth he forgives himself and accepts his mother's fate. Universally, the nightmare signifies a state of despair or isolation people face during difficulties often caused by denial or guilt. Facing the truth strengthens people and provides acceptance to face uncertainties. After the nightmare, in an attempt to console Conor, the monster points out that “your mind will believe comforting lies while also knowing the painful truths that make those lies necessary” (212), signifying Conor’s merge between deceit and acceptance. Conor chose to believe his mom would be cured while knowing the treatment would fail her in an attempt to flout the inconsolable circumstances; however, accepting her death prepares him for the difficult transition of moving forward. The monster brought Conor closer to his truth while helping him face his nightmare, in doing so he felt relief because he understood his wish was only a thought not an action, allowing him to let his mom go and forgive