Be Not Far from Me

Davey’s hat symbolizes both Ashley’s feelings for Davey and his friendship with her. Ashley recognizes his hat immediately when she sees it hanging from a tree branch. She expends her limited energy to retrieve the hat, not because she needs it but because of the feelings she has for its owner. Ashley still holds onto hope that Davey, her outdoor mentor, hero, and crush, may still be alive. At first, the discovery of the hat suggests the possibility that Ashley will find Davey alive in the woods. However, when she eventually finds Davey’s tent with his decaying body inside, Ashley must face her emotions and the reality that Davey is gone.

The hat also represents his friendship with Ashley; though she must confront the reality that he is gone, he has inadvertently left something behind that helps her, just as his friendship and wilderness training helped her during his life. After amputating her foot, Ashley needs a way to protect the amputation site from dirt before she can continue walking through the woods. She covers it with a sandwich bag but must unravel some of the yarn from Davey’s beanie to tie and secure the bag to her foot. Unraveling the hat, and her feelings for Davey, is difficult but necessary for Ashley’s survival. As Ashley unravels the hat, she is able simultaneously to let him go and to help save herself. Both processes are painful but ultimately beneficial.

At the novel’s conclusion, Ashley meets with Davey’s parents and returns the hat to Davey’s mom, who made it for him. Returning what’s left of the hat symbolizes Ashley’s ability to fully let go of Davey. She pined for him as a young teen, hoped against logic for his survival, and discovered his body after rescue operations failed. Davey was an important influence in Ashley’s life, but she recognizes the need to grieve his loss and move on.