Shadow

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death and child death.

In Shadow, stars symbolize hope, faith, friendship, and luck. The narrative is framed by two scenes of Matt and Grandpa stargazing together, and this activity emphasizes their deep bond. For Grandpa, the stars represent his faith that his deceased wife is looking down on them. Aman shares a similar connection between the stars and his deceased father. He says that Mr. Khan used to tell Aman to count the stars to fall asleep; in this way, stargazing provides Aman with a sense of comfort and protection amid the brutal heat, cold, and hunger he suffers when he and his mother flee Bamiyan on foot.

As Aman leaves the Army base in Afghanistan, Sergeant Brodie gives him his regiment’s silver, star-shaped badge. Aman is fiercely proud of this badge and becomes very attached to it. He thinks of it as a talisman that brings him luck. In moments of anxiety or sorrow, he holds it, and it brings him hope and comfort. When he has Shadow with him, he turns to the dog for stability; and after he gives her up, the badge replaces the dog.