Karel

Karel's character symbolizes truth. Though the Lang children do not immediately understand the significance of their encounter with him in the field, discovering his wounded body subsequently sends each of them on individual searches for meaning and purpose. As they seek to discover the truth of who they are, Matthew, Zoe, and Duncan crave dialogue with Karel, later learning that everyone is enamored with his magnetic aura. At the hospital, all of the patients love him because he is easy to talk to. The man who picks him up on the road only attacks him because he is desperate to share his secrets with Karel. By the end of the novel, the Lang children rediscover the truth of their deep sibling connection by returning to the boy in the field captured in Duncan's series.

Lily

The dog, Lily, symbolizes understanding. While Duncan originally adopts her because...