Words and Language

The personal transformations experienced by the characters; its thematic emphasis on the importance of language for communication and understanding; and the book's overall poetic sensibility are all defined by representations of language as vital, evolving, and transformative.

"Weird and Wonderful Words"

For Nick and for the reader, this much-resented dictionary published by Nick's father initially represents an aspect of himself that Nick is determined to downplay, resist, or ignore. Later in the narrative, however, as Nick transforms, his perspectives on the book also transform, leaving both him and the reader engaged, and perhaps even changed, by the way both Nick and his father both experiment with the words in this particular dictionary.

Soccer

Throughout the narrative, there is a sense that Nick holds onto Soccer ("the beautiful game") and its physical athleticism as much as he does as an act of resistance against the...