The symbolic ashes highlight the themes of The Bonds of Friendship and Teamwork and Solving Mysteries and Overcoming Obstacles. Beth has been devastated by the death of her parents, and she carries their ashes around with her as a sort of penance.

The ashes are heavy, and Beth is literally weighed down by her burden. She forces herself to carry them around with her everywhere, but this makes her “baggage” cumbersome to deal with. As an orphan, she feels very alone. Jack is the first person with whom she can be honest about the ashes. She recognizes that few people would understand, and she postpones telling him the truth because she fears that it will alienate him and further isolate her. However, after a series of mishaps that result in the spilling of the ashes, Beth realizes that her parents are with her not because she carries their remains around, but because they are such a significant part of her.

In the climax of the novel, Jack must choose between saving Beth’s life or prioritizing saving the ashes. He chooses to save Beth, which she appreciates. She realizes that her parents would have preferred this too.