Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Dibs in Search of Self, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Therapy, Empathy, and Non-Judgment
Parental Expectations vs. Self-Determination
Trust and Security
Intelligence vs. Emotional and Social Skills
Summary
Analysis
Two and a half years later, Axline is sitting in her living room when she hears Dibs’s familiar voice. He is telling a friend about the 27 different plants in his yard; Dibs has just moved into a house down the street from her. A few days later, Axline meets Dibs on the street and he immediately recognizes her. Dibs says that he’s grown up now, but he remembers how they played together. Dibs recalls that at first he was afraid, but Axline told him to have fun and that no one would hurt him in the room. Dibs also remembers that Axline told him to fight his enemies, and he did so. Dibs says that now he is big and strong and not afraid.
The irony of Dibs’s recollection is that Axline never explicitly told Dibs to have fun or that no one would hurt him. However, the fact that Dibs remembers it this way illustrates the trust that she built between her and Dibs, and how impactful this feeling was for him. By instilling a sense of trust, Axline gave Dibs security that he could carry with him for the rest of his life, as he describes here.
Themes
A few days later, Axline meets Dibs’s mother and father on the street and they thank Axline again for the help that she gave Dibs. They tell her that Dibs is now enrolled in a school for gifted children. Dibs then rides up on his bike and his mother asks if he remembers Axline. When his father prompts him to answer, Dibs reveals mischievously that he saw Axline five days earlier. He also calls her his first friend. As they leave, Axline observes that Dibs has learned how to believe in himself and free himself.
Dibs’s mischief indicates that he has found comfort and confidence in himself as a result of the play therapy sessions. He doesn’t always have to act according to his parents’ expectations; instead, his self-determination has allowed him to flourish and reach his potential.
Themes
