Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Everything, Everything, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Coming of Age
Trust and Lies
Family, Abuse, and Bravery
The Value of Experience
Summary
Analysis
The next night, Maddy ignores the pings at the window. By the fourth night, however, her curiosity gets the better of her. She peeks outside to see the Bundt on Olly’s windowsill, covered in bandages. The next night, the Bundt sits on a table with a martini, cigarettes, and a pill bottle labeled with a skull and crossbones. Maddy wonders if it’s going to commit suicide again. The following night, the Bundt is arranged as though it’s in the hospital receiving IV fluids. In a white jacket, Olly listens to the Bundt’s heart and shakes his head solemnly at Maddy. Maddy doesn’t want to look the next night, but she does. She sees Olly, dressed as a priest, performing the Bundt’s last rites. Maddy laughs and Olly writes his email address and an apology on his window.
Olly’s performance shows Maddy that it’s okay for her to feel curious about him and want to get to know him, as he clearly reciprocates and wants to engage with Maddy in some way. This is a major coming-of-age moment for Maddy, as this is the first time in her life that she’s had a relationship with someone other than Mom and Carla—even if it is happening through protective glass. This becomes the first step as Maddy starts to move away from Mom and figure out who she is in the presence of other people.
Themes
