Ever heard the expression fake it 'til you make it? In The Future of Us, Josh and Emma are teenagers, which means they're both in a stage of life where this is pretty much the go-to mantra when it comes to identity. Since they haven't left their parents' houses yet, they have a lot left to learn about themselves. As it stands, though, a big part of the book is watching them each learn bits and pieces about themselves, often realizing that what they think they want isn't always what they actually want.
The way the story ends is a nice way to acknowledge this: Romantically, what they both want has been by their sides the entire time. But hey, no one ever said growing up was easy.
Questions About Identity
- Look at your Facebook profile. Does it represent you accurately? Where are you faking it 'til you make it?
- How do Emma and Josh each identify themselves at the beginning of this book? How do their perceptions of their identities change?
- Whose identity changes the most in this book? Whose changes the least? What does this mean about these characters and their journeys to figure out who they are?
Chew on This
Emma's and Josh's identities don't change, they both just become more in tune with who they are.
Emma and Josh each change over the course of the story so that, by the end, they each occupy different identities from the ones they start out with.