In literature, light often symbolizes knowledge, and this is true of This Was Our Pact, as well. The boys chase the lanterns because they want to know where the lanterns end up; however, on a metaphorical level, they are chasing knowledge itself. This is a coming-of-age novel, and the adolescent boys are curious about the world of adulthood and independence. They chase the lanterns into the darkness of the unknown world, leaving behind the safety of home, which symbolizes their desire to leave childhood behind and understand what lies ahead for them. Toward the book’s conclusion, the boys see the lanterns evolve into fish—this echoes the way that fish like salmon swim away from their birthplace to the larger world of the ocean as part of their own process of maturation. The lanterns’ journey mimics that of Ben and Nathaniel, who also travel far away from home to understand themselves and the world better on their path to growing up.

In the novel, outer space symbolizes the theme of Cultivating Positivity and a Sense of Wonder, as well as the boys’ exploration of the adult world that is as yet unfamiliar to them.