Scar Island

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2017

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-5

Chapters 6-9

Chapters 10-13

Chapters 14-18

Chapters 19-22

Chapters 23-26

Chapters 27-30

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

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Discussion Questions

Symbols & Motifs

Secrets

Several secrets lurk within the pages of Scar Island, and their eventual revelations drive the plot and themes of the story. Jonathan guards the novel’s biggest secret: the sad story of why he was sent to Slabhenge Reformatory. The other boys talk about why they were sent to the school: Jason stole cars, Walter stole a purse to give his mom for Mother’s Day, Miguel skipped school. But when anyone asks Jonathan what he did, he finds a way to change the subject or remains silent. He makes sure no one sees the scars on his arms, and when he finds the key to the Admiral’s office, he keeps it to himself so that no one can go into the office and see his file. The revelation of Jonathan’s secret at the end of the story helps him redeem himself because it forces him to come to terms with what he has been hiding inside, and he sees that others react to the full truth with empathy instead of judgment. Thus, the disclosure of his secret is a key factor in Jonathan’s self-redemption.

The owners and operators of Slabhenge keep the Hatch a secret, telling the boys it is a monster and not a door to hold back the rising sea. They don’t want anyone to know that the sea is rising, the island is sinking, and the school is eventually going to be swallowed by the water. They also keep the library and the librarian a secret. The librarian’s presence on the island has been a secret since his birth, and his enthusiasm for reading conflicts with the Admiral’s harsh, work-only approach. When Jonathan discovers the librarian, he also chooses to keep his presence a secret from the other boys.

Sebastian also has a secret. He never writes a letter home. No one knows why until the end of the story when he finally releases his secret, revealing that he has no parents or family. He too, fights to maintain his secret as he attempts to maintain a tyrannical presence over the other boys to keep them on the island as long as possible. When Sebastian divulges his secret, it has a healing effect. The other boys forgive him for being a bully and urge him to write them.

The Admiral’s Sword

The Admiral’s sword is a symbol of authoritarianism. The sword, one of the world’s oldest weapons, which was first used thousands of years ago, signifies the primitive nature of the Admiral’s approach to discipline. When Sebastian starts brandishing the sword, it signals his transformation into an authoritarian tyrant like the Admiral.

The sword’s deadly connections are illustrated while the Admiral brandishes it during his speech to the students. As the adults are electrocuted, it becomes a deadly lightning rod, symbolizing the destructiveness of authoritarianism. The Admiral’s cruelty, inability to connect, and abusive leadership demands divine retribution, and the sword serves as a vehicle to enact the judgment against him and his staff.

Scars

Scars are both symbolic and real in the novel. By describing the boys as scars in his speech, Sebastian gives them a new identity. He sees scars as representing toughness and endurance. Sebastian himself suffers from the emotional scar of growing up without a family.

Jonathan has real scars on his arms, which he hides throughout the novel because they remind him of the shame he feels over the death of his sister. He finally reveals the burn scars at the end when he also lets go of his secret and tells the whole story about his role in the fire. Even though his sister used his matches and copied his bad habit of starting fires, he did not murder his sister. Instead, he was burned while trying to save her. Scars form when a wound heals, and in Jonathan’s case, showing the scars to the other boys has a healing effect. As he reveals his scars, he releases the guilt he feels so he is able to heal emotionally, as well as physically.