Dear Edward

Edward begins to see how the tragedy of the plane crash affects the people around him. His fracturing relationship with Shay sparks this insight. As Edward feels his friend growing distant, he begins to fixate; loss defines his life, and losing Shay’s friendship would add to his isolation. However, this fear sparks a conversation that gives Edward a more complete view of the crash’s impact.

Talking to Shay about his isolation from other students gives Edward a new perspective: he is not blameless in his isolation. His unwillingness to connect with others has played a large role. Edward is the victim of a tragedy, but he has trapped himself in victimhood by insulating himself from the world around him. His fear to connect to others has caused his stagnation.

This shift in Edward’s perspective is vital for his growth. It is telling that Edward sees the ripple effects of the crash on Lacey and John in this same section of the novel. Not only does he learn that Lacey is taking sleeping pills, he realizes that John has been dealing with insomnia. Despite living with Lacey and John for over two years, Edward has been oblivious to their struggles and the impacts of the crash on their lives. This, and Edward’s disinterest in connecting with his peers, is reflective of the themes in the chapters that take place on the plane: people are sharing close quarters without truly connecting.

Significantly, the chapter that takes place on the plane in this section (Part 2, Chapter 5) is about connection. The passengers begin to connect in small ways; Benjamin sees himself reflected in Edward, while Linda and Florida begin to build a friendship. When Mark asks Veronica on a date, he is showing a fondness for her beyond sexual desire.

Jordan, the only passenger in this chapter who feels wholly isolated, begins to worry about his separation from Mahira. This fixation prevents him from sharing the moment with his father and brother in the same way Edward’s stagnation in victimhood will complicate his relationship with Lacey and John. Edward feels a loss of independence as he grows apart from Shay; Jordan questions his autonomy when he reflects on the loss of Mahira.

The parallels between Edward and Jordan are increasingly significant as Edward turns 15, Jordan’s age at the time of his death. For example, Jordan begins to question the efficacy of his actions, such as refusing to go through the body scanner and suddenly changing his diet, at the same point in the novel in which Edward sees the flaws of his stubbornness. In a sense, Edward has reached an ultimatum: continue to act as a substitute for Jordan, despite the isolation it causes, or grow toward actual independence.

Edward doesn’t find the letters until relatively late in the novel, but that is deliberate. The letters provide a chance for Edward to look beyond himself and to establish his independence through action. Edward must reach a point where he sees the impacts of his isolation before the letters will provide him with a call to action. If he had found them before this point—before he reached Jordan’s age or before he realized the gravity of his stagnation—they would have further isolated him from others.

This change in focus from the past to the present also shifts Edward’s relationship with Lacey. Perhaps due to alcohol, Lacey allows herself to be vulnerable when she talks to Edward about caring for him as a baby. Lacey has found independence through her work, and it prompts her to speak differently to Edward. They are surrogates for one another, which becomes explicit when Lacey kisses Edward’s cheek. However, their stubbornness and fear has prevented both from realizing the depth of their connection. By telling Edward the story, Lacey is reframing their relationship and giving Edward a chance to do the same.