Reputation vs. Reality Theme in Restart

Restart suggests that judging people solely based on their reputations is often an inaccurate way to assess them. By spotlighting Chase Ambrose and Mr. Solway, the novel illustrates how misleading these external perceptions can be. When the novel begins, 13-year-old Chase has more than earned his reputation as a bully—yet after a serious accident, he develops amnesia, forgets the forces that incentivized his bullying, and becomes a much kinder, more thoughtful person. Nevertheless, people continue to judge him by his bad reputation. For example, when Chase helps the unpopular video-club president, Brendan Espinoza, film a comedy short about driving a tricycle through a car wash, the car wash manager assumes Chase bullied Brendan into it and threatens to call the police on him. Brendan, who was responsible for the car-wash idea but has a reputation as a good kid, has to talk the manager into leaving Chase alone. Similarly, when Chase accidentally hits his former bullying victim Joel Weber while trying to protect him from other bullies, Joel and his sister Shoshanna assume Chase hit Joel on purpose. They only realize they misjudged Chase when Brendan shows them video footage proving it was an accident. By contrast, everyone assumes that elderly Korean War veteran Mr. Solway is a hero because President Truman awarded him a Medal of Honor, which serves as a physical symbol of his sterling reputation. Yet Mr. Solway himself denies that he’s a hero: the violent act that won him the medal severely traumatized him, and he’s ambivalent about the morality of war. Thus, Chase and Mr. Solway illustrate how people’s reputations can conflict both with reality and with how they see themselves.

Reputation vs. Reality ThemeTracker

The ThemeTracker below shows where, and to what degree, the theme of Reputation vs. Reality appears in each chapter of Restart. Click or tap on any chapter to read its Summary & Analysis.

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Chapter

Reputation vs. Reality Quotes in Restart

Below you will find the important quotes in Restart related to the theme of Reputation vs. Reality.

I remember falling.

At least I think I do. Or maybe that’s just because I know I fell.

Related Characters: Chase Ambrose (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 1

Explanation and Analysis:

This quotation opens the novel. The protagonist, Chase Ambrose, has fallen and suffered a head injury causing amnesia. Though the quotation is brief, it reveals a lot about Chase and his preoccupations. First, Chase may seem like an unreliable narrator because he claims to remember falling and then contradicts himself. In fact, however, he’s a very honest narrator: though his knowledge is limited, he tells the truth as he sees it and corrects himself when he realizes he may have made a mistake. Later in the novel, Chase will learn that he used to be a bully, try to make Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perfer

“This is an awful thing that’s happened to you, but it’s also presenting you with a rare opportunity. You have the chance to rebuild yourself from the ground up, to make a completely fresh start. Don’t squander it! I’m sure you’re not feeling very lucky, but there are millions of people who’d give anything to stand where you stand right now—in front of a completely blank canvas.”

Related Characters: Dr. Fitzwallace (speaker), Chase Ambrose, Joel Weber, Mr. Solway

Related Symbols: Medal of Honor

Page Number and Citation: 27

Explanation and Analysis:

On amnesiac Chase’s first day of eighth grade, the middle-school principal Dr. Fitzwallace summons him to his office and gives him a speech about not “squander[ing]” his “completely fresh start.” Dr. Fitzwallace’s speech is thematically important for what it implies about identity and memory. When he says that Chase can “rebuild [himself] from the ground up” because he has lost his memories, he’s making two implicit claims. First, he’s claiming that Chase’s identity is based on his memory. With his memories gone, Chase’s identity is like a demolished building that must be completely rebuilt “from the ground up” with new Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium ius

When I got amnesia, I lost thirteen years of myself. I have to replace those memories using what I can pick up from other people. But everyone has a slightly different version of me—Mom, Dad, my friends, the kids at school, even frozen yogurt girl. For all I know, the lunch ladies know me better than anyone else.

Who should I believe?

Related Characters: Chase Ambrose (speaker), Aaron Hakimian, Bear Bratsky, Frank Ambrose, Shoshanna Weber

Page Number and Citation: 43

Explanation and Analysis:

After Chase learns from his friends Aaron and Bear that all three of them were sentenced to community service for blowing up a piano as a “prank,” he confronts his mother Tina about hiding his past legal troubles from him. He realizes that Aaron and Bear represented the “prank” as much funnier and less serious than Tina thinks it was, which makes him wonder: “Who should I believe?” Chase’s question here illuminates the tense relationship between individuals’ identities, memories, and reputations. When seeking to understand their identities, people can usually take into account their present sense of self, their memories Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut.

I’m blown away. My record as a nerd and goody-two-shoes never seemed like much to me before. For sure, it didn’t compare to Chase’s—athlete, bad boy, big man on campus. But it was my reputation, not his, that got us out of a jam back there.

Related Characters: Brendan Espinoza (speaker), Chase Ambrose

Page Number and Citation: 51

Explanation and Analysis:

Chase just helped Brendan Espinoza film a stunt video for YouTube, in which Brendan rides a tricycle through a car wash. The car wash manager, knowing Chase’s reputation as a bully, assumed that Chase bullied Brendan into the dangerous stunt and threatened to call the police. Brendan, a “nerd and goody-two-shoes,” saves Chase from legal trouble by explaining that he, Brendan, is video-club president and offering to put an ad for the car wash in the school yearbook. This short sequence of events illustrates how believing people’s reputations can often lead to mistaken judgments. It also illustrates how social hierarches Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Voluptas suscipit alias. In et eveniet. Eaque et repellendus. Dolores aut voluptatibus. Voluptatem qui voluptatum. Voluptatibus sed placeat. Aut tenetur autem. Fugit voluptates in. Quidem impedit sunt. Excepturi ullam nobis. Ducimus odio quo. Ut a

“They’re always the enemy when they’re shooting at you, kid. But a dead man doesn’t care what uniform he’s wearing. I’m better off forgetting the whole rotten business, medal and all.”

Related Characters: Mr. Solway (speaker), Chase Ambrose, Aaron Hakimian, Bear Bratsky

Related Symbols: Medal of Honor

Page Number and Citation: 97

Explanation and Analysis:

Chase has struck up a friendship with Mr. Solway, a veteran of the Korean War (1950-1953) living in the assisted living facility where Chase, Aaron, and Bear were sentenced to do community service. Mr. Solway won a Medal of Honor—the highest military decoration in the United States—for single-handedly killing a tankful of enemy soldiers with a grenade, but he found the violence so traumatic that he has repressed the memory. When Chase tries to comfort him by reminding him that the men he killed were enemies, Mr. Solway refuses the comfort and calls the war a “rotten business.” Mr. Solway’s Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum

“I never wore it. Not that I was ashamed of it, but it didn’t feel right—like I’d be saying, ‘Look how great I am. I’ve got a better medal than you. Any dimwit can win a Purple Heart.’”

Related Characters: Mr. Solway (speaker), Chase Ambrose, Shoshanna Weber

Related Symbols: Medal of Honor

Page Number and Citation: 119

Explanation and Analysis:

Through an unexpected series of events, Chase and Shoshanna are now collaborating to interview decorated Korean War veteran Mr. Solway for the National Video Journalism Contest. Shoshanna finds the empty box that used to contain Mr. Solway’s Medal of Honor and, after failing to unearth the medal elsewhere in Mr. Solway’s closet, asks when Mr. Solway last wore the medal. Mr. Solway admits that he “never wore it” because doing so “didn’t feel right.” This admission reveals that Mr. Solway rejects not only his reputation as a war hero but the social hierarchy that that reputation seems to set up. Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omni

That’s when it hits me how this must seem to the teachers. The music room is a disaster area. Instruments, music stands, books, and papers are strewn everywhere, the whole place buried in foam. The school’s three most notorious bullies are right there. One of them—Chase—still wields a fire extinguisher. And their number one target—Joel—is down on the floor with a rapidly swelling face, obviously the victim of an assault.

“It isn’t what it looks like!” I gasp, and then bite my tongue. What if it’s exactly what it looks like?

Related Characters: Brendan Espinoza (speaker), Aaron Hakimian, Joel Weber, Chase Ambrose, Kimberly Tooley, Bear Bratsky

Page Number and Citation: 166

Explanation and Analysis:

Aaron and Bear burst into the music room while Brendan, Joel, and Kimberly were filming a video and sprayed them with fire extinguishers. They claimed Chase had sent them; after Kimberly ran to get Chase, Chase fought with Bear over one of the fire extinguishers and accidentally hit Joel in the face with it. When teachers arrive on the scene, Brendan knows that the teachers will blame Chase as well as Aaron and Bear—and while he initially tries to defend his new friend, he immediately has doubts about Chase’s involvement. This quotation emphasizes how hard it will be for Chase Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Voluptas suscipit alias. In et eveniet. Eaque et repellendus. Dolores aut voluptatibus. Voluptatem qui voluptatum. Voluptatibus sed placeat. Aut tenetur autem. Fugit voluptates in. Quidem impedit sunt. Excepturi ullam nobis. Ducimus odio quo. Ut autem haru

It’s no problem escaping Aaron and Bear.

But I’ll never be able to get away from myself.

Related Characters: Chase Ambrose (speaker), Mr. Solway, Aaron Hakimian, Bear Bratsky

Related Symbols: Medal of Honor

Page Number and Citation: 191

Explanation and Analysis:

Aaron has just revealed to Chase that Chase, just prior to his accident, stole Mr. Solway’s Medal of Honor. He, Aaron, and Bear were planning to sell the medal and split the proceeds. Chase is horrified, for obvious reasons: he has just learned that he used to be the kind of person who would steal a veteran’s military medal and that he has stolen specifically from Mr. Solway, a friend Chase deeply admires. Chase’s claim that he will “never be able to get away from [him]self” suggests that, in his horror, he has come to accept the harsh take on Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima

“It was the old you!” Brendan mumbles around a rapidly swelling jaw.

“There’s only one me.” Chase says it so quietly that I can hardly hear him.

Related Characters: Shoshanna Weber (speaker), Chase Ambrose (speaker), Brendan Espinoza (speaker), Mr. Solway

Related Symbols: Medal of Honor

Page Number and Citation: 223

Explanation and Analysis:

Chase has just returned Mr. Solway’s stolen Medal of Honor and confessed to stealing it prior to his amnesia-causing accident. Brendan, seeing Chase’s guilt and shame, tries to comfort Chase by saying that the theft was the work of the “old” Chase. In response, Chase denies that there are two versions of him: “there’s only one” Chase Ambrose. Prior to this point, Chase has frequently thought of himself before his accident as the “old Chase” and his present, amnesiac self as the “new Chase”—as if they were different versions of him or perhaps entirely different people. By asserting that the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima

Reputation vs. Reality Theme Analysis

Reputation vs. Reality ThemeTracker

Reputation vs. Reality Quotes in Restart

Chapter 1: Chase Ambrose Quotes

Chapter 3: Chase Ambrose Quotes

Chapter 5: Chase Ambrose Quotes

Chapter 6: Brendan Espinoza Quotes

Chapter 12: Chase Ambrose Quotes

Chapter 14: Chase Ambrose Quotes

Chapter 20: Brendan Espinoza Quotes

Chapter 23: Chase Ambrose Quotes

Chapter 28: Shoshanna Weber Quotes