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Chapter 5
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in It’s Kind of a Funny Story, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Mental Health
Art and Self-Discovery
Peer Pressure vs. Self-Empowerment
Friendship and Romance
Summary
Analysis
Craig comes home to Mom, Dad, and younger sister, Sarah, along with the two family dogs, Jordan and Rudy. Craig’s mother asks him if he’s happy with Dr. Minerva, and although Craig hesitates, he eventually says yes.
Like his friends, Craig’s family also seems unable to understand the severity of his depression, although this passage shows how his mother, perhaps the most out of all his family members, makes an effort to bridge the gap.
Themes
At dinner, Craig mentions that he had trouble talking in American history class. When Craig brings up refusing pot the other day, Mom and Dad don’t want him to bring up the subject with Sarah around. Craig isn’t feeling hungry. He has to leave the table abruptly to vomit in the toilet. He hopes the Shift will come soon, because if he doesn’t eat, he’ll die.
This passage shows the main divide between Craig and his parents. His parents think they want to be honest, but Craig knows that if he tells the full truth, like how he smokes pot, his parents won’t want to hear it. This causes Craig to try to keep more serious problems, like his vomiting, to himself.
Themes
