The Keeper of Stars

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death.

The title The Keeper of Stars signals the importance of stars in the novel from the very beginning. Stars are a common symbol of destiny in Western literature, and their use in Turner’s novel is in keeping with this tradition. Characters frequently use phrases like “in the stars” to describe the idea of fate or destiny and discuss whether people have the capacity to override the outcomes they seem destined for (12). This links the novel’s star symbolism to its thematic consideration of The Power of Individuals to Determine Their Own Destinies. 

When Jack uses the phrase “my keeper of stars” as an epithet for Ellie in his book’s dedication (124), he is referring both to her literal occupation as an astronomer and to her role in his destiny. In the summer of 1950, Ellie and Jack often spend time stargazing. Ellie teaches Jack scientific information about stars, and the two also use them as a symbolic way to discuss their ideas about destiny and free will. In 1962, when Jack sends Ellie the book, he is exercising his own free will to try to influence the outcome of his relationship with Ellie—but in calling her his “keeper of stars,” he also acknowledges Ellie’s power over him as a kind of “keeper” of his destiny (124).