The formal documents that Ellie and Lee find in the windowsill of the Hermit’s hut underscore the limitations of storytelling, especially local legends and gossip. The story that Ellie and the others know about the Hermit doesn’t include the details of what actually happened, and even the newspaper’s account is vague and incomplete. The documents in the box imply that the Hermit didn’t kill his family in cold blood at all, and that he killed them as an act of mercy to spare them pain at the end of life—an act which reflects a deep love for his family and willingness to sacrifice on their behalf.