“I don't think it's gross. I think it's kind of beautiful. Everything, and everyone, is interconnected.”
Akin to the title, the spirit of the novel is that we are all made up of the same things despite the differences we think we might have. In the assertion, Stewart attempts to explain to Ashley the intertwined nature of human activities in that we are unified by the same elements. Ashley retorts to his theory by affirming its gross but he insists on the beauty that phenomenon entails. Stewart and Ashley are two different individuals in terms of personalities and social life. However, Nielsen aims to express that these are barricades created by our own sense of importance and we are all the same.
“Different people are smart in different ways.”
Stewart and Ashley have to reconcile their differences and learn to work together to uplift one another where each is weak. The statement accentuates the need to cope with our differences and appreciate the specific aspects of each individual. Placed in the same environ the two get to understand each other and see the similarities they have rather than the dissimilarities. Stewart gets to understand that regardless of his ‘book-smartness’ than Ashley, they both are smart in their own way.
“Because being gifted can also mean that you excel in some areas while you stink in others.”
Stewart is a smart kid technically a nerd hence is a victim of social awkwardness and suffers from the societal pressures that come with it. On the other hand, Ashley is not a bright student but is socially adept and hence enjoys the perks of this status. In the assertion, Stewart observes his high capabilities in the classroom but no skills in the social sphere. Thus, this marks a point of self-awareness that will be vital when his world clashes with Ashley’s. In that even when one is termed ‘gifted’ they still need the aid of others to excel in certain spheres.
