There are several prevalent symbols in Neal and Jarrod Shusterman's Dry. In my opinion, the two of the most prominent symbols are the car keys and helicopters.
The car keys symbolize power. From the time Alyssa, Kelton, Jacqui, Henry, and Garrett leave Dove Canyon in Uncle Herb’s truck, until the final ride before the truck crashes, the holder of the car keys feels powerful and in control. We see Jacqui and Henry argue several times throughout the book about who should hold the keys and who should drive. They are not merely struggling for the car: they want to control and lead the group as well. When Henry is entrusted with the car keys (representing the leadership role), he sells the group out to two criminals. Then, Jacqui gains the keys. At the end of the book, Jacqui realizes that she physically cannot drive and willingly passes the keys...
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to Kelton and Alyssa. With this move, the reader sees that Jacqui knows that the power should be shared among the group instead of hoarded by one individual.
In Dry, we see helicopters appear at several key moments. These helicopters represent salvation. At the beginning of the book, a reporter hijacks a helicopter to escape the tap-out. For her, this was her one chance of saving herself, and she took it. As the tap-out becomes more extreme, thousands of dehydrated citizens gather in relocation areas. They await helicopters, hoping that they will bring life-saving water. They watch each chopper fly overhead, thinking that the “next one will be for us” (283). Ultimately, it is a helicopter that saves Kelton, Alyssa, and Garrett from death. When the children are threatened by severe dehydration and a surrounding wildfire, the firefighting helicopter drops water on them before carrying them back to safety. These helicopters are more than just a transportation tool; they are salvation for the desperate, dehydrated citizens of California.
There are plenty of symbols that exist in Dry. One symbol that is persistent throughout the story is a gun. Symbolically, Shusterman isn't breaking new ground with firearms being symbolically significant.
The guns in the story have a traditional duality to them. On one hand, they are symbolic of extreme violence. We see this in the first part of the book when the water truck is trying to deliver water to the power plant, and readers are told that the guy riding "shotgun" is actually armed with a shotgun. The detail foreshadows that trouble is coming for the pair. The mob crowd outside sees the gun and actually uses it against the man.
Even Alyssa sees firearms as pure evil in the beginning of the story. She is so adamant that guns are bad that she refuses to give Kelton the clip to his pistol. As the story progresses, readers see Alyssa's opinion of guns change. After her scary encounter with a fake convenience store clerk, she makes sure that Kelton does indeed know how to handle the pistol. Then she hands him the weapon's magazine. Alyssa now sees the weapon as a necessary tool for protection and survival.
Another symbol in the book is Kelton's canteen. It is a symbol of hope, friendship, and even love. Kelton will repeatedly pull his canteen out and let Alyssa have sips from it. He knows that the action will anger his dad, but he does it anyway in order to help a fellow human in need; although he does have selfish reasons. He really likes Alyssa and is hoping to win her affection, but that canteen and his offers repeatedly give Alyssa the life-saving water that she needs.