Almond

“Lastly, and I know it sounds like an excuse, but neither you nor I nor anyone can ever really know whether a story is happy or tragic.”

With this quote, Yunjae grounds the novel in realism. Given that nobody knows the end to their own story or life, tragedy and comedy cannot apply. Yunjae experiences tragedy, but his story is not necessarily tragic. Additionally, this quote examines the implications of life and death. Given that the end of every person’s story is death, does that make every story a tragedy? While Yunjae struggles to understand even the simplest emotions, this quote reminds the reader that the experience of life is more complicated than anyone can understand.

“‘Granny, why do people call me weird?’ Her lips loosened. ‘Maybe it’s because you’re special. People just can’t stand it when something is different, eigoo, my adorable little monster.’ Granny hugged me so tight my ribs hurt. She always called me a monster. To her, that wasn’t a bad thing.”

While Yunjae acknowledges that his grandmother does not mean to cause harm by calling him a “monster,” this is the first acknowledgment that the way Yunjae describes himself in the Prologue comes from his own family. Regardless of Granny’s intentions, Yunjae’s perception of himself as monstrous persists until the end of the book. This foreshadowing provides a grim reminder of the impact of language on neurodivergent people. Even though Granny also calls Yunjae “adorable,” the “monster” is what sticks with him.