One Foot in Eden

Holland’s Gold Star medal represents the recurring threat of underlying violence. Before his death, Holland carries the Gold Star with him in the same bag that he carries the ears of the men he killed. Because the military awarded Holland the Gold Star for his bravery in the Korean War, his habit of carrying it alongside the ears shows his pride in the brutality of war. When Holland shows Will the Gold Star and the ears, Will remembers his time during World War II, when he fought alongside men so violent that he was glad that they were not on the opposing side. Before Holland’s murder, his Gold Star signifies the threat of his underlying violence. Although he promises Amy that he would never hurt her, the narrative makes it clear that he will never leave her and Billy in peace, and this leads Billy to kill Holland. After the murder, the Gold Star represents physical evidence of Amy and Billy’s secret, which they try to hide from everyone. When Isaac learns that the Gold Star that Mrs. Winchester gave him belongs to his biological father, he fears what this violent secret will do to his family.