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Chapter 21
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Art of Racing in the Rain, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
What It Means to Be Human
Language and Storytelling
Love and Family
Illness and Death
Destiny and Spirituality
Summary
Analysis
Labor Day weekend arrives and Zoë is very excited to start kindergarten. On the first day, Denny and Enzo walk her down the street to the bus stop and wait with other parents and children, excitement in the air. As the bus comes down the hill, Zoë asks Denny to kiss her then so that her friend won't see, and Denny obliges. Denny then talks through the schedule for the rest of the day with Zoë, who is not impressed. She makes a face before climbing onto the bus, and Enzo swears for a moment that she's Eve. As the bus pulls away, another father asks Denny if it's his first. Denny says yes, and the man replies that there's nothing like your first, they grow up so fast. Denny agrees, and he and Enzo return home.
Despite the medical tragedy taking place, life continues, and milestones like the first day of kindergarten continue to arrive. As Zoë gets older, we begin to see more personality from her, and particularly how she is so like her parents. Enzo, further, since he's allowed into her fantasy world, arguably has a better sense of this since her fantasy world is her uncensored view of the world and by extension, her personality.
Themes
