Trust and Friendship
The weekly chat the kids engage in at the ARTT Room becomes a safe space for them to share over time. Initially, the room was just that, a room, occupied by children from different backgrounds. Ultimately, they form an unlikely bond that entails emotional support and reliance which transforms into a strong friendship. The recurrent theme is the act of harboring someone in every situation in the same way they would hope to be harbored.
Parental Loss
The common motif in the narrative is the racial and class issues that impact the everyday lives of adults –and children for that matter – especially minorities. As such, the problems the students share with the group come back to the social issues in the current climate. The novel delves into the prison system and the immigration protocols that separate the parents from their kids. Though the incarceration of Haley’s father and deportation of Esteban’s father is their personal burden to bear, the children suffer too if not the most.
Nostalgia
The present events showcase the growth the group has undergone during their time in the ARTT group. The narrator, Haley, reminisces on a time she held a different sentiment about her father than the one in the present. Through recording the stories and chats she manages to capture moments that will be significant to look back on. Assuredly, she reflects on the growth and maturity she and the rest of the kids have acquired over the course of the year.
