Isolation vs. Connection Theme Analysis

In part because The Sun Is Also a Star offers vignettes into the lives of seemingly minor characters that somehow influence the lives of Daniel and Natasha, the novel makes the claim that all humans are, in many ways, however small, connected to one another. Though The Sun Is Also a Star espouses a cosmic sense of connection, this is ultimately shown to be very different from actual human connection in the form of friendship, love, or familial relationships. Overwhelmingly, the novel suggests that such connections are necessary for happiness, while isolation is a recipe for tragedy and disaster.

Though Natasha shares a strong relationship with her mother, Patricia, and a close friendship with Bev, a girl from school, this doesn't necessarily keep her from feeling alone in her family and in her greater community. Her love of math and science set her apart from her more artistically inclined father and brother, and Bev is the only person outside of her immediately family with whom Natasha shares that she's not a legal citizen of the US. In the case of Natasha's relationship with Samuel, the reader learns that Natasha actively sought isolation from him after she overheard a fight between her parents in which Samuel accused his family of being the reason why his acting career is unsuccessful—insisting, essentially, that their familial bond is a burden. Rather than reach out to her father, Natasha draws even deeper into herself and often wears headphones to isolate herself from anyone who might enter her world. Though she clearly resents her father for what she believes he "did" to their family (not getting a job and spending his days locked in his room, reading plays, and thereby keeping the family impoverished), the isolated world she creates for herself through her headphones and her love of math and science exists in very much the same realm as Samuel's habit of staying home and reading. Both are acts of isolation intended to separate the person in question from their family, though it's worth noting that both Samuel and Natasha do what they do to protect themselves from hurt. To this end, Natasha at one point tells Daniel that she'd like to be a data scientist and work, alone, interpreting data and numbers—things that, in her opinion, don't have the power to hurt her in the way that people do. This shows that in some cases, people withdraw as a coping mechanism—though it's also important to recognize that Samuel's isolation offers him no tools to remedy his situation, and Natasha's isolation similarly makes her unwilling to trust others who may have the power to help her.

When Natasha meets Daniel, they very soon begin working through a series of 36 questions that one scientific study suggested can cause two strangers to fall in love in a matter of hours. In doing so, Natasha allows herself, for the first time, to fully open up to another human being and form a close, intimate connection. This connection is notably a source of strength for both Natasha and Daniel. Through the process of sharing their very personal thoughts, ideas, and beliefs with each other, both of them begin to look more closely at themselves and the people around them. This in turn leads them to make changes to their beliefs that the epilogue implies led each of them to live happier, more fulfilling lives. In Daniel's case, he refuses to become a doctor (going against the grain of his parents’ expectations) and instead, decides to pursue his passion of poetry. Natasha, meanwhile, finally stands up to her father and tells him that it will no longer be acceptable for him to sit at home alone—he too must seek human connection in his own life and begin trying again to land acting jobs in Jamaica. All of this coalesces to show that Daniel and Natasha's relationship is much more than a fleeting romantic distraction: the connection, trust, and confidence they developed gave them the power and wherewithal to change their lives and the lives of others.

Though the thrust of Natasha and Daniel's relationship is the primary focus of the novel, it also illustrates an extreme version of the relationship between isolation and interconnectedness in the subplot concerning Irene. Irene is a security guard at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) building in Manhattan, and she desperately wishes that anyone passing through the doors would look at her. She eventually decides that her loneliness is too much to bear and plans to commit suicide. After Irene makes this decision, however, she's saved by a simple act of kindness from Natasha: in her joy and hope that her deportation notice will probably be overturned (a turn of events that she attributes to Irene holding her up that morning), Natasha calls the agent who helped her at the USCIS building, asking him to thank Irene. Even though Irene has no idea why Natasha called to thank her, that sliver of connection gives Irene the courage to seek help. She later goes on to follow her childhood dream of becoming a flight attendant, and takes great pride in her ability to comfort lonely or scared people on her airplane. Eventually, she's the one who draws Natasha and Daniel's attention to the fact that they're on the same flight—illustrating very clearly that for some, human connection isn't just something to take for granted. Rather, it's something that has the power to give people the will to live.