Stars are a constant symbol, meaning different things throughout the course of the novel. In the beginning, Edward is infatuated with the stars. Because he can’t shut his eyes and therefore can’t sleep, he lies awake and stares up at the stars while Abilene is dreaming. He is particularly struck by the description in Pellegrina’s story that says the princess was “as bright as the stars on a moonless night” (34).He finds comfort in this description because he likens himself to the princess, in that he thinks he is as beautiful as her, which means that he thinks of himself as shining bright like a star. When he is separated from Abilene and falls to the bottom of the ocean, he feels sad to be so far away from the stars, because, in a way, he feels far away from himself and the life that he had always known.

Lawrence teaches Edward the names of the constellations, and the idea that stars have names fascinates him. After Sarah Ruth dies, Edward has a dream that she is now a star. For Edward, there is often a correlation between learning the names of the constellations and repeating the names of the people he has loved.