Holding Up The Universe

“Atticus, he was real nice […] Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them.” 

One of the novel’s central themes is seeing. The novel asks readers to consider what it truly means to “see” someone, to understand their inner identity instead of just their exterior identity. In beginning with this quotation from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, a novel which Niven continues to allude to, Niven immediately establishes the importance of seeing people beyond the surface.

“What will my story be?” 

Libby asks herself this question on the first day of school as she contemplates how she stands out among the sea of students at Martin Van Buren High. The question is one that is probably on the minds of many of Holding Up the Universe’s adolescent readers as it is a question of who they will ultimately become. As she approaches the first day with a “clean slate,” Libby sends the message that her story is in her control—she is the “author” and determiner of her own identity.

“I’m safe.” 

Jack repeats this to himself as he holds Caroline’s hand through the halls; the line illustrates the central tension in his character between the identity he projects and who he is inside. He knows Caroline is bad for him, but he feels that he needs her, not just to serve as his literal guide through the school but also to preserve his reputation as the popular, outgoing Jack Masselin—and to hide his prosopagnosia.