Dear Edward

The failure of the auto-pilot represents a shift: the pilots are now in total control of the flight, but their safety is more compromised. Similarly, as Edward takes more of an active role in his own life, the safety of his isolation fades. He starts to take more risks, such as his trip to New York with Shay, but they are within his control. Edward is not separate from the world; he is a part of it, and he must deal with the responsibilities.

The flight’s turbulence causes Jordan to step away from his longing for independence. In a previous chapter, he feels a loss of control about his family’s move to L.A. He resents this and starts to isolate himself from his brother and father. In a moment of danger, however, he finds that he needs his family once more. Fear of the unknown undercuts his independence; Edward is facing similar worries, but he must overcome them in a way Jordan was never able to do.

Fear causes Jordan to regress from a state of adolescence to one of childhood. Grief has had a similar impact on Edward. If he is going to heal, he cannot allow his emotions to dictate his independence. In a sense, he must surpass Jordan. Before he can do that, though, Edward must find equality with his older brother. It makes sense that this happens after his 15th birthday, because Jordan died at the age of 15.

Meeting Mahira continues the theme of identity and independence. Edward cannot establish his own identity without exploring the individuality of his brother. In other words, he cannot separate himself from Jordan until he views Jordan as a separate entity. Mahira was a huge part of that identity, and she represents the biggest secret between Edward and Jordan. By accepting Jordan’s secrets, Edward is acknowledging that his brother was a whole person who existed outside of Edward.

In imagining what Jordan’s life would have been like if he had survived the crash instead, Edward realizes that Jordan’s independence from his family was a strength. In Edward’s mind, Jordan would have healed because of his connection to the living, represented by Mahira. This permits Edward to find his own path toward healing. It will be a different path than the one he imagines for Jordan, but Edward is beginning to accept that they do not share an identity.

This new understanding gives Edward independence in two significant ways. First, he begins to feel romantically attracted to Shay. This places him more firmly in adolescence, and it represents his first steps away from the childlike tendencies that defined his inability to grow. He is catching up to Jordan, who explored similar feelings toward Mahira, while establishing his own separate identity. He is allowing his relationships to deepen without fear of their loss.

Additionally, Edward and John have a moment of affection that would have been impossible without Edward’s growth. This underlines his willingness to build new relationships, but it only comes about after Edward sees John as an equal. Edward and John are both lost in their grief and isolation, but Edward was unable to fully understand John’s pain; because of his age, Edward assumed that John was in control of his grief. During their conversation about the letters, however, John shows his inability to cope, and that puts him on a level playing field with Edward.

Mahira talks about going to a tarot card reader. This brings back the theme of rebirth. Florida, who believes in reincarnation, talks about becoming a tarot card reader when she starts her new life in California. There are hints that Mahira’s reader could be Florida in a new form, but Napolitano is never explicit about that.

More importantly, the tarot card reader represents the futility of trying to control the future. By consulting the tarot card reader, Mahira confronts her future while accepting its unpredictability. In contrast, the passengers on the plane are constantly worrying about their respective futures. When Veronica listens to the plane’s sounds, she’s trying to diagnose a problem and protect her future. The plane crash is the ultimate loss of control; Edward’s quest is to reclaim that control by refusing to fear the future.