The Host

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of graphic violence, death, and suicidal ideation.

The caves that Jeb creates and that the human community lives in represent survival and resistance to the alien invasion. To keep a community alive in the harsh Southwestern environment takes ingenuity, grit, and collaboration. Jeb has rigged mirrors to encourage plants to grow, and the springs that run beneath the ground allow the community to have water. However, they do not have enough to remain self-sufficient, so Jared and others go on raids to bring back food and other supplies to the community. These activities are dangerous because they risk drawing attention to the human survivors. Life in the caves thus illustrates the lengths the humans are willing to go to in order to survive, developing the theme of The Meaning of Survival.

The dark and largely wild conditions of the caves also stand in stark contrast with the bright, orderly aboveground world of the souls. In part, this illustrates the vastly differing experiences of the surviving humans and the implanted souls, but it has additional symbolic resonance: The caves’ darkness mirrors the community’s misunderstandings about Wanderer and souls in general. Wanderer helps show the human community that souls are not parasites but a kindhearted species. She also teaches them how to use the souls’ trusting nature to their benefit, taking supplies and other things that are useful for improving the quality of life in the community. She shows them that coexistence might be possible and that there could eventually be communities with souls and humans living peacefully together. The caves therefore become a space where Wanderer grows closer to the community and makes friends. Despite the challenging lifestyle, she feels like she belongs there more than she does with other souls, underscoring that the path to survival lies in cooperation.