Jason Bock is somewhere between being a Catholic and an ex-Catholic. He's also transitioning from nerd to somewhere more in the middle of the social spectrum. The theme of identity also runs through Henry's character—violent fiend, avid sci-fi reader, juvenile delinquent, or interesting guy with a good heart? Can he be all of the above? Do we develop our own identities, or are they put upon us?
As is appropriate for a book about teenagers, everyone still seems to be a work in progress by the time godless ends—but they've got plenty of time to sort their identities out. We promise that no one really gets a firm grasp on who they are until they're at least in their twenties.
Questions About Identity
- Why does Henry seem to be totally different people at different points in the book?
- Why does Jason need to create Chutengodiansim? Does he need to go from being a Catholic to being something else, instead of just nothing?
- Jason is constantly switching up his identity: he is the spy, Bock, J. Bock, a ninja, a prisoner of conscience, a radical religious zealot. Why?
Chew on This
Identity is something that we cultivate about ourselves and can change and develop over time.
We are who we are by nature, and that can't be changed. Trying to be someone else is being fake.