The Symbolism of Choice in The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman →

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The Graveyard Book is about a boy raised in a graveyard by dead people and other frighting entities. It is an exciting story, and perhaps a surprise that it reflects on themes of family and fate.

Quite a few things about the book reveal the author’s intended symbolism. The role the community plays in raising a child. This ties in with the theme of fate versus free will. Choices brought the parents to death, and the child’s future followed.

Choices in the child’s life brought the fate of leaving and entering the real world. Options would follow, and we did not get to find out what they were, but the dead parents had tears in their eyes and they had their son walk to his fate, leaving the graveyard.