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Chapter 19: White Things
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in When You Reach Me, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Friendship
Coming of Age
Nonjudgment
Second Chances
Survival and Support
Summary
Analysis
In the present, Miranda explains that she stopped working for Jimmy back in December. But she still notices the bread delivery waiting in the doorway each morning. It makes her think of the November day on which the note-writer’s second missive appeared, buried in the daily bread delivery. This time, it’s addressed to her by name. It asks for her letter to tell the true, detailed story as soon as most of it has happened. And it asks her not to say anything about this second note to anyone.
Although Miranda doesn’t want to credit it, the evidence is mounting that the note-writer is from her future. From her November perspective, she only knows that something dire is about to happen. From her springtime perspective, it already has, and so she doesn’t see the point in trying to write the letter, since she can’t prevent it. But, as Marcus tried to explain to her, that’s not quite how time travel works. The reality is more complicated than she can see.
Active
Themes
A few minutes after Miranda pockets the note, Jimmy goes outside to meet a delivery driver, and Colin declares it’s time for the three of them to see what Jimmy keeps in the plastic Fred Flintstone bank on the stockroom shelf. Annemarie is lookout while Colin and Miranda peer inside, their heads so close that they touch. The bank is stuffed with $2 bills folded into neat little triangles. They manage to put it back without Jimmy noticing. For the rest of the afternoon, Miranda keeps thinking about how it felt to have Colin’s face so close to hers.
Active
Themes
