Searching

The author uses the Lang children's discovery of the boy in the field to spur each of them onto individual paths towards self discovery. After that fateful September day, Matthew feels as if he has "encountered something extraordinary: a crime like the ones he read about it in books," a crime he becomes desperate to solve (19). His uncertain familial circumstances, and his imminent departure for college, fuel his desires to be in control. He invests himself in searching after Karel's assailant in order to feel this sense of agency: if he can find "something everyone else had overlooked," he might be able to prove himself, and to feel the sense of personal satisfaction he cannot achieve in other arenas (35). Meanwhile, discovering Karel's wounded body inspires Zoe's new longing for romantic attention and validation. Even Duncan notices that his sister is "searching for something," though she does...