70 pages • 2 hours read
Teresa TotenThe Unlikely Hero of Room 13B
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2013A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Themes
Real Versus Perceived Heroism
At the beginning of Adam’s coming-of-age journey, he sets a goal for himself to be taller, braver, and more courageous. He is eager to grow, be older, and become more mature. He is also eager to “cure” his OCD and other mental health issues. This can be seen when he feels increased motivation to do his therapy homework, thinking, “If doing psycho homework would put him on the fast track to being fixed, then move over, Adam was boarding that bus” (10). He wants to be what he perceives as normal, but he does not actually care about doing the work necessary to get there. Adam is more concerned with getting cured fast and easy rather than actually facing his problems, demonstrating his naive understanding of his OCD and his preoccupation with becoming an idealized version of himself, with perfect traits and perfect control over himself and his surroundings.
Adam’s issues and compulsions are directly related to his perceived notion of heroism. This is evident when he says, “I believe there are times that my molecules are nuclear and that they’ll explode, raining radiation on all those I love unless I execute certain cleansing and clearing rituals, but I’m going to work on that too” (134). He simultaneously feels that he is the cause of chaos in his life and that he needs to be the protector and fighting hero for his family. Throughout the novel, Adam puts pressure on himself to protect and save his loved ones, feeling that he has to be the hero for Robyn, his mom, and his brother. Adam even thinks he’s responsible for Sweetie’s broken arm, which reveals an irrational layer to many of his fears. Part of Adam’s recovery process is learning that his notion of what is true might not always be accurate, and that he does not have to shoulder all these responsibilities on his own.
Besides, Adam exhibits heroic traits in other ways that are subtle but no less meaningful because of it. Adam may not recognize it himself, but those around him do, as becomes apparent when Snooki tells him, “You are so here for everyone in here, all the time. I don’t think it even registers with you how much you carry. You worry about too many people, like your mom, and your fat friend, and your little brother” (246). Chuck tells Adam to consider this, as it might change his perception of himself and of what it means to be a hero and a good man. Though at this point Adam is still blind to the merits of his empathy and compassion, by the end of the novel he has matured enough to recognize some of his personal strengths. When Adam breaks up with Robyn and gets his mom the help she needs, he shows that he understands that heroism comes in many forms, and there are many ways he can be there for his loved ones. This is a key marker of Adam’s newfound maturity, but it’s also a crucial step in his recovery, as Adam has learned the hard lesson about how letting go—releasing his fears, exposing his vulnerabilities, and accepting external support—is sometimes the most heroic and loving thing a person can do.
Facing Reality and One’s Fears
Truth and reality are subjective depending on one’s point of view, especially in Adam’s case due to his OCD. In the beginning of the novel, Adam is dissatisfied with his reality and, because he is young and naive, he believes that escaping himself somehow will make his life better. This is why he is so reluctant to do his List homework: doing so requires confronting reality. Each List features 10 statements regarding what he believes or what he is feeling, forcing Adam to be honest about what he believes to be true. When he experiences a breakthrough moment by completing a full and completely honest List, he immediately feels uncomfortable, remembering “why he hated doing these. Full-frontal reality. Reality sucked” (132). Feeling shame and embarrassment after rereading the list, he rips it up before showing it to Chuck. Though he can sometimes admit the truth to himself, Adam still can’t do so publicly due to his continued fear of judgment and vulnerability, as well as his desire to escape himself and his mind.
In addition to avoiding the reality of his mind, Adam struggles to see the truth of the world around him. His counting and threshold issues escalate and prevent him from getting better; however, he refuses to tell anyone about his increasing struggles or the letters. Adam continues to lie, keep secrets, and pretend everything is okay at the cost of his own mental health. His continued deference toward his mom—who frames keeping secrets as a demonstration of loyalty—has similar harmful consequences. He can see that the letters are toxic, but he fails to see how much keeping his mom’s secrets is damaging him. Through this, Toten indicates that telling the truth is the only way to achieve true relief.
This is proven true several times in the novel when Adam opens up to people he trusts and feels instant relief. When he tells the group about the letters, he realizes, “It was like a high-pressure front blew in and swallowed up everything that was thick and heavy […] And Adam felt fine. Shockingly, brilliantly fine. Once again, he had told. Once again, a relief so pure and powerful rocked him to the core” (199-200). Even though it is difficult for him to remember, Adam can see that telling the truth and trusting his friends leads to relief and clarity, which will in turn enable his recovery. When he conquers his biggest fear of talking about the letters and betraying his mom, instead of feeling ashamed or judged, he only feels better.
The final harsh reality that Adam must confront comes through Mrs. Polanski’s advice. She tells him, “Sometimes it’s actually necessary to hurt the ones you love […] Letting go, Adam. It’s the really hard part of growing up. You’re ready” (236). Hearing this, Adam suspects she is right and knows he must face several of his fears. He must confront all the lies relating to his mother and his fear of losing Robyn. Ultimately, Adam learns that the hardest part of growing up is letting go. He lets Robyn and his mother go in different ways, even though it hurts him to do so, because he knows that being honest and open is the path to true relief, contentment, and peace of mind.
Comfort in Religion and Higher Power
One of the novel’s central running themes is finding comfort in religion or a higher power. Robyn’s interest in Catholicism grows and provides her comfort and peace. When they visit the church in Chapter 26, Adam says, “It was like a coming home, only better. It was walking into a hug” (182). Through teaching Robyn about God and sharing his parish with his friends, Adam is reminded that church can be a safe place for him as well.
Another way Adam is reminded of this is through Father Rick, who represents the idea that it’s okay to reach out for help and shows that there are always adults willing to help in any way they can. Every time he encounters Adam and his friends in the church, Father Rick makes sure to ask how Adam’s doing, how his mom’s doing, and how things are at his house. Even though the questions give Adam some anxiety, he appreciates Father Rick’s attention and his always open door.
Toten acknowledges that faith is not a cure all, evident when Chuck mentions that religion is not typically a recognized method for treating OCD patients, but she presents it as a possible tool for teens coping with mental health issues. As Robyn says, “It’s not like a crutch or a compulsion, not really. The religious thing just helps with the hyper-anxious bits […] I know it doesn’t stop the bad thing, or change the consequences, see? So it’s different from the OCD. It just helps a little” (83). She knows that religion might not fix all her problems, but even so, she values its potential to provide guidance and comfort.
