Symbolism In The 5th Wave By Rick Yancey

Trying to Defeat “the Others”
Imagine that your parents were deceased and your brother was taken by aliens whom were trying to destroy the human race; how would you save him? The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey is about Cassie (Cassiopeia) Sullivan, the main protagonist, who lives in an unusual modern-day reality. A species of aliens known as “the Others” who are trying to obliterate the human race to subsequently occupy Earth to themselves. The Others have a form of attacking called “waves”. Four of the waves have passed and they have killed many people, including Cassie’s parents. The others have been preparing for the 5th wave of annihilation by brainwashing children at a camp, Camp Haven, to fight against other humans. Cassie’s brother, Sammy, had been sent to Camp Haven. Cassie’s sole motivation throughout the book is to find her brother. There are many symbols throughout the book that represent Cassie as a character, such as her name, humanity, and the battlefield. Most of the symbolism throughout The 5th Wave helps develop Cassie as a character.

“Cassie for Cassiopeia the constellation, the queen tied to her chair in the northern sky, who was beautiful but vain, placed in the heavens by the sea god Poseidon as a punishment for her boasting. In greek her name means “she whose words excel”” (pg. 3). The name Cassiopeia symbolizes hope because constellations gives people a sense of hope and light during a dark night. Cassie gives the people who are still alive hope that everything will be okay and we will defeat the Others. She also gives herself hope that she will eventually find Sammy. The symbolism of the name Cassiopeia can develope Cassie into a more dynamic