Keys

So what's going on with the key symbol on Sabriel's Abhorsen garb? The official tunic is "dusted with embroidered silver keys that reflect the light in all directions" (10.37). An entire tunic covered with silver keys seems like a pretty blatant use of symbolism—yet the Abhorsen doesn't seem to use keys of any kind. Bells, yes. Swords, sure. But keys? Not so much.

So what gives? Well here's what we think. Keys represent links between places, a way to go from point A to point B. And in this book, there are two places that everyone is very much interested in keeping separate—Life and Death—and yet this doesn't always go as smoothly as folks might hope. There is one person, however, the Abhorsen, who can move freely between these two realms, and when they do, it's generally to try to right some sort of wrong. In this way, the Abhorsen is a key—the key between Life and Death, and the key to solving problems.

This is one of those symbols that definitely has room for different interpretations, though, so what do you think?