“I watch, and the mothers watch. I do not know how to interact with the mothers. Am I them? They occasionally try to include me in a conversation, but it’s clear they don’t know what to make of me.”
Eggers is still a young man at the prime of his life yet he has been imparted the role of a parent after the deaths of both their parents. Now as the guardian to their younger brother, Toph, he has to assume all the responsibilities that come with it. Henceforth, this renders him self-conscious if he is indeed capable of it because others will see that he might not be capable. The statement showcases his efforts to parent yet he does not fit in that role socially through the eye of others.
“We are the bright new stars born of a screaming black hole, the nascent suns burst from the darkness, from the grasping void of space that folds and swallows –a darkness that would devour anyone not as strong as we.”
Eggers and Toph are left to cater for themselves once their sister goes for her studies and have to navigate their new lives. The boys are in uncharted territory for them and most others hence this makes their situation unique to them. Young men left with the responsibility of taking care of each other have to assume both roles of a parent and being a child. Therefore, their situation is both daunting and exciting since they are orphans and yet young and free. The assertion describes their unique situation that makes their experience rather exceptional and also challenging.
