Veering Symbol Analysis

Gabe’s gift, which he calls “veering,” symbolizes empathy. By veering, Gabe can enter another person’s mind and feel what they’re feeling—a fantastical and literal manifestation of empathy, in which a person puts themselves in another’s shoes to try to understand what they think or feel. Overwhelmingly, Son suggests that empathy is one of humanity’s most important tools to fight evil of all sorts. It’s no accident that Gabe is only able to figure out how to best Trademaster when he veers into Trademaster, discovering then how Trademaster feels and how Trademaster conceives of his own worth. By using empathy, Gabe is able to deprive Trademaster of his power and destroy the being, which allows empathy and kindness to flourish while also highlighting the importance of empathy itself as a thought exercise.