The first theme I chose to talk about is "fighting against wrongdoing". This is a really important concept and recurring theme in the novel, and becomes apparent in many different ways through the characters and their actions. Most notably is Cal's decision to help Gretchen escape the mistreatment and abuse from her father, and aid her in living her own life for the first time. Cal saw something that was unjust and horrific in her experiences, and chose the option that is often hailed as "heroic" or "noble". While I agree that what Cal did was very brave, especially because of everything he went through to achieve getting Gretchen out, I think that fighting against wrongdoing should be vastly more normalized in our society. Promoting justice and fairness in the world in essential, and when people are indifferent to the problems around them, the problems only get worse. If there had not been intervention in Gretchen's abuse, it would only continue, and the physical/emotional/psychological scarring on her would get worse every day. I think this also applies towards the other concepts of fighting wrongdoing in the book, like intervening with McCluskey's dog and the rabbit that Cal saves. It's not enough to see that something is wrong (like when they noticed the abuse of these animals); for the problems to stop or be alleviated, humanity needs to acknowledge the problem/causes and then use their voice and impact to change it. There's the age old concept of the "neutral party taking the side of the oppressor, never the oppressed". Doing something for someone in need is not necessarily heroic or outstanding, but human.
The second theme I chose was "bravery in just being alive." This concept, though shown many times throughout the book, was most prevalent when Cal was in jail. Another inmate Spence (who I thought was one of the most significant characters in the book) told him this: "I've been thinking about how brave we all are...We keep on trying, we go on and on without love, searching, hoping...carrying on another hour, another day..."
The second theme I chose was "bravery in just being alive." This concept, though shown many times throughout the book, was most prevalent when Cal was in jail. Another inmate Spence (who I thought was one of the most significant characters in the book) told him this: "I've been thinking about how brave we all are...We keep on trying, we go on and on without love, searching, hoping...carrying on another hour, another day..."