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
A news clip plays. The newscaster says that Tip Charles just filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city. This suit is causing strife between the city council and community leaders. According to a representative from the D.C. Urban Development Coalition, the suit raises a big question: who’s responsible for a person’s wellbeing? Their family, their government, or their community?
The representative’s question becomes one of the novel’s central questions. Though the novel never definitively answers this question, it does suggest that, ideally, all three of these different branches will be able to work together to keep people safe. That may be an ideal and not reality, but it’s worth working for.
Themes
Claudia waits in the Starbucks line. When she gets to the front, April blinks. Claudia orders a hot chocolate and April calls that she’s taking a break. They sit outside on a bench and Claudia asks how many times she’s sought April out. April says this is the third time. Ma begged April to play along and take pity on Claudia, which April found ridiculous. Claudia asks why she did it then. Tearing up, April says that Claudia never stopped looking for Monday. The buzzing resumes in Claudia’s ears as she asks about Tuesday. April says she’s better. They’re both in therapy now, and Tuesday’s back in school. Claudia shares that she’s going to start at Cardozo High in the fall, and she’s also in therapy. With a smile, April hopes Claudia will remember longer.
Even though April found Claudia immensely frustrating and naïve, she still couldn’t really fault Claudia. April finds Claudia’s emotional attachment to Monday admirable and moving. However, Claudia’s attachment to Monday is also somewhat traumatizing for her, which is why the buzzing starts again in Claudia’s head as she and April discuss this. But though Claudia is still experiencing trauma symptoms, being in therapy offers hope that Claudia is getting the help she needs to be able to move on from that trauma.
Themes
Later, Claudia’s backstage, waiting for the recital to begin. Daddy looks out of place as he tiptoes toward her. He tells Claudia that she looks beautiful and compliments her outfit. She admits she’s a bit nervous. Then, Daddy says he has something for Claudia. He pulls out a manila folder. Inside are photocopies of Monday’s journal, and Claudia immediately begins to read them. Monday writes that Claudia is an artist because of the way she paints nails, colors, and dances. She wishes Claudia wasn’t so scared of people treating her differently. If people got to know her, they’d see that she’s smart and cool. Monday can’t believe that Claudia chose her to be her best friend. She writes that they’re more like sisters.
Though it’s impossible to know for sure, the story leaves open the possibility that Detective Carson pulled some strings to get the journal for Claudia to try to make up for being so cruel to her earlier. And now, as Claudia reads, she sees that Monday contained multitudes. Monday may have been annoyed with Claudia’s learning disabilities, but she also clearly loved and admired Claudia at the same time. Monday’s frustrations don’t make her evil—they make her human, just like Claudia.
Themes
Megan interrupts Claudia and asks if she’s ready. Claudia is in heaven reading Monday’s journal without too much trouble, but she puts the folder away and grins. Megan says she can’t believe Claudia is here after everything—if Megan had been in Claudia’s position, she doesn’t know what she’d do. Claudia thinks that the only thing keeping her going is Monday and tells says that if Megan were in Claudia’s position, she’d dance.
Though Claudia attributes her ability to heal to Monday, it’s also worth considering that Claudia also benefits from having another friend in Megan. While Claudia still feels a deep connection to Monday and to the past, Megan shows her that the future is something to look forward to and something she can enjoy.
Themes
Get the entire Monday’s Not Coming LitChart as a printable PDF.
Claudia takes the stage, and as she dances, she feels Monday dancing next to her. Monday is in a lavender dress, smiling brilliantly. It feels like old times with their steps perfectly in sync. They’re having fun. Claudia pours her love for Monday into every step and bows. Ma, Daddy, and Michael cheer from the front row.
Imagining Monday dancing in lavender, her true favorite color, is a way for Claudia to honor her friend. It shows that Claudia is becoming more comfortable accepting the person Monday actually was and now understands that it’s impossible to know everything about her.
Themes
