Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Patron Saints of Nothing, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Truth, Adolescence, and Justice
Responsibility, Guilt, and Blame
Culture and Belonging
Death and Meaning
Summary
Analysis
Jay remembers the last time he was staying at his grandparents’ house. He and Jun were constantly playing soccer in a field near the local church. At first, they played with Chris and Em, but Chris and Em played competitively, while Jay and Jun didn’t really know what they were doing, so Jay’s siblings lost interest. Jay and Jun started playing one-on-one, and a crowd of other kids of all ages soon gathered around. Jun invited them to join, which showed the kind of person he was—that’s how Jay wants to remember him now. Everyone had fun playing a haphazard game. It began to rain, and Jun and Jay dove for the ball. They ended up covered in mud, and Lola had to wash them outside in the rain.
This memory is significant, because Jay thinks about it after he’s learned the truth about Jun. Even though Jun wasn’t exactly the saintly figure Jay thought he was, the memory once again shows that Jun offered others a rare kindness and acceptance that included everyone. Jay also seems to want to remember simpler times with Jun, before the two of them grew up and things got complicated.
Themes
