Things Not Seen Theme of Family

Family: You can't live with them, and you can't live without them. Or at least that's how Bobby and his parents seem to feel in Things Not Seen. When Bobby wakes up to find himself changed, the first people that he tells are his parents; they're the only ones he can fully trust with his condition. And even though they are both stressed out by the situation, they soon make it apparent that they will do absolutely anything to keep Bobby safe—even risk going to prison if it means protecting him from being experimented on by the government. That is some real love right there.

Questions About Family

  1. Do you think Bobby's parents meant to leave him all alone on his first day of invisibility?
  2. Why does Bobby risk everything to sneak into the hospital and see his parents?
  3. Do you think Bobby's parents would have really gone to prison for his sake? Why or why not?

Chew on This

Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.

Bobby's parents didn't leave him all alone on his first day of invisibility because they don't care about him; they did it because they were also in shock and didn't know what to do.

Even though Bobby's parents get on his nerves sometimes, he still loves them more than anything. This becomes apparent when he sneaks into the hospital to see them.