Communication is an important motif in the novel. Paradoxically, Jackson copes with his family’s problems both by retreating into facts and by creating a fantastical imaginary friend who inspires him to believe in the impossible. What he does not do is express how he feels to his parents. He does not tell them he is angry or scared and tries to be helpful so as not to add to their burdens. He can see that his father is struggling emotionally with the realities of not being able to provide for the family. Similarly, his parents do not want to burden their children with their adult problems so do not disclose the extent of their financial troubles until they have to move into their minivan. This lack of communication amplifies Jackson’s resentment and anxiety, despite him practicing the same avoidance and denial tactics in his communication with his parents and Robin.

Though he does not realize it, Jackson does what his parents do: omits unpleasant facts and tries to see the positives in what is happening to him. This is clear in his conversations with Robin in Chapter 17, when he assures her that everything is going to be fine, and with