Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Monday’s Not Coming, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Child Abuse
Family, Community, and Responsibility
Growing Up, Independence, and Friendship
Secrecy and Shame
Poverty, Social Support, and Desperation
Memory, Repression, and Trauma
Summary
Analysis
Claudia goes to school every Monday hopeful that Monday will be there. But that hope turns to dread every day that Monday isn’t there. Finally, she seeks out Ms. Valente after school one day. Claudia sits on a desk, looks down, and asks if Ms. Valente is still mad at her. Incredulous, Ms. Valente says she’s not mad—just disappointed and concerned for Claudia’s safety. Claudia promises to not fight again and then asks Ms. Valente for a favor: go by Monday’s house. She insists that something’s wrong. Nobody’s stories about Monday’s whereabouts match up, and Claudia just needs to know that Monday’s okay—even if Monday’s mad at her. Monday being angry is the only reason she can come up with for Monday’s absence. Ms. Valente promises to check it out.
Monday has been gone for at least five months now, since the beginning of September. Given the amount of time that’s elapsed, it makes no sense to Claudia why nobody can give her a good explanation for Monday’s absence. It’s worth noting that Claudia brings this to Ms. Valente because she cares so deeply for Monday. Also, Claudia has been learning over the last few months that Monday may have been keeping the truth about her home life a secret, so she realizes now she may have been wrong to assume Monday was fine.
Themes
