63 pages • 2-hour read
Pax
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Symbols & Motifs
The Phoenix
When Vola makes puppets, Peter notices one set apart, The Roc, the largest puppet. An absolutely magnificent bird with hundreds of dark feathers, “the tips painted red, as if licked with fire” (147). Vola says to Peter “Most of the others are head and shoulder puppets, but this one needs to fly. I jointed him at the elbow. When he soars, you can almost feel the wind” (147). This imagery is also reminiscent of the phoenix, a bird that bursts into flames. The Phoenix embodies the belief that new life can come from the ashes of the old and was a significant symbol to Peter because of his mother’s phoenix charm bracelet.
The phoenix supports the theme of False-acting, in that humans can retrain their path to be honest people. Additionally, the phoenix suggests there is hope for the dismantled, war-ridden landscape.
Vola’s name means “to fly,” aligning her with Peter as someone who resonates with their wild self. Throughout the book, there are connections to birds and the elements as well as examples of human beings as part of nature, intrinsically connected to it, not separate from it.
Two but Not Two
Throughout the book, Vola refers to the Buddhist concept of nonduality called “Two but not two,” which essentially means that all is one. There is no true separation between any of us. Pennypacker shows this concept in the relationship between Pax and Peter and in the consciousness of the characters themselves: “The world was his. He could travel through it and he could feed himself on its bounty whenever he wanted. He was part of it all, free. But not alone” (234).
In the wake of war, “two but not two” is more important than ever because, as Vola suggests with her story of the man with the book Sinbad, we are connected to the people behind enemy lines. We are all one, regardless of where we come from or who we fight for. Likewise, the natural world is a part of the human world, as Peter’s psychic connection with Pax suggests.
Limbs
Another way Pennypacker makes the cost of war palpable in the story is through the actual loss of body parts and mobility. It is important to note that in this story, Vola lost her leg in war, Runt lost his because of a landmine, and Peter broke his leg while trying to rescue Pax. The motif of lost or broken limbs runs throughout the story, supporting the theme of the unconsidered costs of war.
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