Coming of Age Motif
Although this is not a coming of age story in the traditional sense, Jamie is thrust into an inner conflict that she was not expecting to have just yet. She suspects that she may be gay because of her feelings towards a fellow female student but it is not until she sees the prejudice against other gay teens that she realizes she is a gay teen herself. The coming of age motif is present throughout the novel.
Sex Outside Marriage Symbol
Lisa believes that sex outside of a marriage is morally wrong, whether straight or gay. The fact that a sexual act takes place out of wedlock is a symbol to her of moral decline, and symbolic of a moving away from the Bible's teachings in a way that she interprets them. She also believes that the distribution of condoms within high school symbolizes the school's moral decline.
Burning the Book Symbol
When Terry burns the books, it symbolizes both his own freedom and also the freedom of his fellow gay students to be openly homosexual without fear of shame or retribution. It is a symbol of his accepting himself as well. It is also a symbolic gesture; it symbolizes the student's refusal to accept the status quo when it comes to prevailing opinions about their sexuality.
Prejudice Motif
Throughout the novel we see the motif of prejudice. This is both overt and under the radar, in that erstwhile friends who have never had any issue with either Jamie or Terry before now seem to treat them differently because of their sexuality.
The novel also demonstrates the way in which the school board and those in authority can in many ways dictate whether or not a student's sexuality is accepted. By "banning" the discussion of sexuality within a sex education class they are presenting only one sexual identity as the norm, and also showing prejudice against those who do not want to get married. Throughout the book there are countless examples of prejudice.
Politics Motif
Lisa wants to be elected to the school board and so she is extremely vocal about the issue of sex education in general, and homosexuality in particular. It is never really clear whether these are her genuine heartfelt beliefs, or the opinions she feels are going to get her elected, but the motif itself shows how sexuality can be politicized.
