The Schwa Was Here

Shusterman expands on the theme of identity-building in these chapters, as multiple characters face changes to their identities and gain new personal insight. Family ties and friendships also encounter tests of strength, and Shusterman continues to explore the concept of Being “Seen” and the Perceptions of Others, as Antsy and the Schwa are “seen” in unique ways. Motifs of food and names, and the symbol of the paperclip, continue to inform these themes.

Antsy’s unwillingness to continue to be “the family paperclip”—the peacemaker holding his family together—reveals changes in Antsy’s self-perception (107). In Building a Sense of Self, Antsy wants to be noticed and seen as an equally valued part of the family. He recognizes this change in himself when he comments how “the old Antsy” would have redirected his parents’ argument (107). Similarly, Lexie makes Antsy feel like he has taken a step in both being noticed and in growing up. Antsy is proud when he pays for his date with Lexie and feels “like Anthony instead of Antsy” (141) with her. He is growing away from his childhood nickname. Mr. Crawley and Dad both refer to Antsy as Anthony when they each experience an adult crisis—Mr. Crawley’s injury and Dad’s fight with Mom—which shows that Antsy is growing mature enough to face adult issues. Antsy’s name change reflects his changing identity.

Shusterman also shows that names have the power to hurt. Mr. Crawley hurls an ethnic slur at Antsy when Antsy tries to help him, calling Antsy a “dumb guinea.” According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the term “Guinea Negro” or “black guinea” originated in the 1740s and signified a “black person, person of mixed ancestry” (“Guinea.” Online Etymology Dictionary). The term was used as a racial insult toward Italians because they sometimes had darker complexions than other European nationalities. The term was later used to disparagingly characterize Hispanics and Pacific Islanders. Though shocked at “the G-word” (114), Antsy tables his anger because of Crawley’s injury. Crawley’s use of the word reveals his classist and ethnic biases.

Other characters also face challenges to their identities. Crawley’s image as wealthy neighborhood eccentric is threatened by his son’s insistence that he enter an assisted living facility. Living in a facility would make him no different or more special than any other elderly man. Crawley struggles against his son’s perception that Crawley is unable to take care of himself. Antsy’s mom also faces a life-altering revelation. She prides herself on, as Antsy says, being the “Empress of Bonano Food Productions,” but her role is threatened by the truth that she is not as good a cook as Dad. By not helping Antsy get his morning breakfast, Mom shows she is forgoing the role she previously used to define herself. Now, she looks outside the home for fulfillment, taking a French—not Italian—cooking class and looking for a part-time job. Food is important to Anthony’s family and culture, and it’s a key part of his parents’ identity, but their big fight is only superficially about food. Dad recognizes that “the biggest things always seem like the smallest things” (108). Cooking and food mask larger issues of self-fulfillment and identity.

“The Big One” exposes these underlying issues in the Bonano family. While Dad and Mom’s bickering over the years blows off steam, they hide behind Antsy’s deflection and evasion to maintain the family equilibrium. They avoid the truth. Antsy quits playing their game and tells the truth, which shakes the family foundation. That foundation is both a benefit to and source of discomfort for Antsy. He is no longer ignored, but he has uncertainty about the family’s future. Family is both a key support structure and key contributor to one’s identity. Antsy notices—positively—how Lexie takes after her grandfather with her take-charge attitude, and he frequently refers to his own Italian roots. When Antsy perceives his family structure is threatened, he is devastated.

The Nature of Friendship also changes in these chapters. Antsy’s brief reunion with Howie and Ira to destroy Manny again doesn’t bring them closer but instead highlights the distance between them. The Schwa remains a divisive element, as Howie and Ira continue to disrespect him. Antsy’s relationship with the Schwa is also negatively affected by their romantic interest in Lexie. Antsy’s initial anger at the Schwa for taking his escort job, followed by feelings of guilt when he dates Lexie, illustrates both his conscience and his empathetic nature.

Finally, Shusterman shows both boys how it feels to be truly seen for themselves, to have their presence felt. The attention from his family and Lexie’s admiration make Antsy feel older and respected. Lexie makes the Schwa feel known and valued. The Schwa does not mind that others do not see him because with Lexie, he is “[b]eing felt” (112). Lexie’s physical inability to see does not hinder her from living fully. She is an advocate for other blind people and enjoys using her influence. Lexie’s blindness does hinder her, however, when, as Antsy notes, the world does not cooperate—like with her grandfather’s accident. Lexie is also emotionally blind, or insensitive, to the unhappiness she causes the Schwa and the rift she opens between him and Antsy.