Being Different is Okay
The overarching theme of the book is directly expressed by Charley’s mother. When she tells him that “Different isn’t sad, bad, or strange,” it is not just a mother comforting a son, it is the message being delivered to readers. The very first line of the book establishes the emotional significance of this theme. The narrator asserts that five-year-old Charlie often is overcome with anxiety because he feels different from most people. This feeling specifically overcomes him when he is not engaging in active behavior with friends, but rather when he is by himself, drawing and thinking. Eventually, however, Charlie will meet Emma who not only feels different but looks different. From this meeting, he will learn that there are big and small differences among people and none of these differences are inherently bad or strange.
Language Sensitivity
When Charley first meets Emma he describes her as weird because she has no hands. His mother teaches him that he must be more careful with the words he uses when talking about other people. In this way, the book pursues themes related to sensitivity when discussing physical disabilities or differences. Charley gets to know Emma and comes to appreciate that though she may look quite different physically, the same concept his mother taught him also applies to Emma. He goes from wondering if she is too different and too strange to accept that there is no such thing as these extremes.
Finding Similarities
When he meets Emma, Charley also learns about how some kids must deal with being blind or deaf or even needing machines to provide them with oxygen in order to breathe. Emma shows him how even though she needs a wheelchair and has no hands, she can still do things that Charley enjoys doing. She likes to get on swings and play tag with other kids. The theme being expressed here is that the awkwardness of differences between people is often overcome by finding shared interests. When similarities are brought to the forefront, even the most significantly obvious differences become less important.
