Importance of map

The map in Mateo’s room serves as a symbol for the life he will miss out on. Angry about the Death-Cast alert and lamenting the “wasted opportunities” of his life, he rips the map down from his wall, turning his room into complete chaos (9). The map, staring Mateo in the face as he contemplates his untimely death, is representative of everything that he will never experience or accomplish. Throughout the novel, the reader learns of Mateo’s desire to travel, with him admitting that he wished he was brave enough to accomplish this. He wishes that he did “more than watch documentaries and video blogs about these places” (205). The map, and thus the places he will never have the opportunity to experience, serve as a symbol for the life he wishes he would have had the chance to live.