Abandonment and Support

“When I Found You” is filled with motifs and themes centered on contrasts. One such theme is that of abandonment versus support which is epitomized in Nat’s life. When Nat is only hours old, his mother abandons him in the woods, but the knit cap she places on his head suggests that some part of her wants him to survive even as she leaves him to his doom. In contrast to this abandonment, Nathan rescues the infant and takes him to the hospital with the hope of adopting him. This hope is quickly dispelled when Nat’s Gamma steps forward to raise her grandson. Her insistence on her role in Nat’s life suggests her support, but as Nat grows older and begins to question his circumstances, Gamma’s lies about his mother come to a point when he learns the truth. Nat...