Comfort & Joy

The arrowhead is a symbol that represents connection and faith beyond the physical world. It begins as a promise from Bobby’s mother to find him a white arrowhead. When Bobby tells Joy, she finds one easily with the help of his mother’s voice, again highlighting the magic in the novel. When Joy has all but lost faith in the truth of her adventure, she finds the arrowhead, the only physical proof that she was ever in Rain Valley. This proof is enough to validate her time there and drive her to Washington to find Bobby and Daniel. When she was ready to sever her connection with Bobby, the arrowhead gave her faith in the truth of their connection. When she returns to Rain Valley, Bobby does not believe she is real until she offers the arrowhead as proof—she tells Bobby to hold it when he feels lost and confused and “remember how much she loved you” (232). The white arrowhead proves to Bobby that he is not “crazy”—when characters begin to lose their faith, the arrowhead reestablishes it. It represents the important aspects of life that are not physical.