Eleven

“His mom and dad were always telling him he needed to grow up. It was one of the things he definitely agreed with them about. Because if growing up meant getting better at hiding your feelings so you don’t get in trouble, then he was all for it. He wondered if he’d be better at it once he turned eleven.”

Despite this passage being about “growing up,” Alex reveals his immaturity. He is so focused on hiding his feelings from his mother that he thinks this is a sign of maturity. Furthermore, he naïvely believes that on his birthday, he will suddenly change and be able to master his emotions and thus be deemed a grown-up.

“Deep down, he knew what was really bugging him and why he was in such an up-and-down mood. His mother was right: it was his own fault he wasn’t getting a dog. They’d made a straightforward deal, just like the ones he made with the universe: improve your grades, and you can have a dog. But he’d dropped the ball, and now he had nobody to blame but himself.”

Alex understands that he alone is to blame if he does not get a dog because he failed to keep his grades up. This moment highlights that although Alex is immature and naïve at times, he does understand what his parents mean about responsibility. However, the understanding is buried “deep down” within him, so later he believes, beyond reason, that he still might get a dog.

“His dad tried to pat him on the shoulder, but Alex jerked away and rolled over to face the wall. His dad exhaled heavily, then rubbed his eyes and stood.”

Alex’s behavior after his dad says no to a dog highlights his immaturity. When the man tries to comfort his son, Alex acts like a stubborn child who did not get his wish. Here, Alex is childish and self-centered.

“As Jordan made his way to the rear of the bus, kids shrank back in their seats, hoping to be passed over this day.”

As Jordan McCreevy steps onto the bus, his one-dimensional villainy is apparent. All kids “shrank back,” suggesting that Jordan targets and terrorizes whomever he can. This characterization makes him a foil to all the heroes in the narrative.

“The Man in the White Shirt thought of those people trapped on the upper floors, and of the firefighters who’d have to climb ninety flights to reach them. He hoped they’d get there in time.”

Unlike Alex’s selfish thoughts, the Man in the White Shirt thinks only of those trapped on the upper floors of the World Trade Center. In a moment when he should be concerned about his own safety, he worries about others. By juxtaposing this with the chapter about Alex’s visit to his mom at the hospital, the narrator emphasizes how immature the boy still is.

“Then Alex took off his belt, held one end tight, and gave the other to the dog, who grabbed it in his mouth and took off running. Alex leaned back onto the wheels of his Heelys, and suddenly he was flying, arms outstretched, wind in his hair, laughing.”

The carefree tone of this passage contrasts with the panic, fear, and urgency in the chapters about the Man in the White Shirt. Both Alex and the dog are playful, a sign of innocent childhood. Because this moment occurs long before Alex is aware of the tragic events of the day, it symbolizes both his innocence and immaturity. Furthermore, the dog also represents these concepts, for though it is a stray, it is concerned not with survival but with playing.

“The flames flickered, pushed sideways by his breath, then went out, leaving two trails of smoke drifting slowing into the air.”

In the bakery, Alex blows out his birthday candles. The smoke from the candles is reminiscent of the smoke from the Twin Towers. This moment is fraught with dramatic irony because Alex is unaware of the terrorist attack and only sees birthday candles, yet the reader understands the symbolic significance of the smoke.

“The Man in the White Shirt staggered through the choking gray cloud. He couldn’t see where he was going. He couldn’t see anything.

He nearly crashed into a light pole that appeared a foot in front of him.”

This passage immediately follows Alex sliding into home plate in a cloud of dust. The contrast between settings and the similarity in imagery both highlight Alex’s innocence. Furthermore, the dust from the collapsed buildings is so intense, the man cannot see. Lights often represent a beacon or guidance through a storm or adversity, yet this event is so horrific that even the light cannot guide the man. Instead, he crashes into it. This symbolic irony underscores just how terrifying this historic event was.

“Jordan jerked his chin at the shirt still tied around Alex’s head.

‘What’re you supposed to be, some kind of raghead?’

‘I bet he’s one of them,’ Deemer said.”

Jordan, Deemer, and Calvin have cornered Alex at the playground. Alex still has his shirt wrapped around his head like a bandana from the baseball game, and the other boys call him a derogatory insult for someone wearing a turban. They know what happened in Manhattan; “one of them” refers to the Muslim terrorists. This is ironic because they scoff at the attackers, but they themselves are about to attack Alex.

“Rex was in mid-jump when Alex suddenly stopped in his tracks. The dog landed on all fours and held still, head tilted to one side, alert to the abrupt change in Alex’s mood.

Alex frowned and stared back across the empty park.

‘Where’s Nunu?’”

While celebrating the dog’s victory against the bullies, Alex suddenly remembers his responsibility to his sister. This moment adds another layer to the chapter title as he is terrified that he lost his sister, foreshadowing the fear he will later feel for his father. Even though he forgets Nunu for a while—during the baseball game and the encounter with the bullies—his fear here is a sign that he is starting to think of others.

“The Man in the White Shirt nodded and got on the other side. He and the cop linked hands and made a cradle. The injured man put his arms around their shoulders and lowered himself into the basket they had made with their arms. Then they lifted him off his feet and carried him down the street, three people moving as one.

[…]

Alex’s arms were on fire. But he barely noticed. Even though the dog was nearly half his size, Alex carried him the entire way, moving so fast that Nunu sometimes had to run to keep up.”

These passages link the two storylines together with similar details. This time, however, instead of emphasizing the contrast between the selflessness of the man and the childishness of Alex, these moments illuminate a similarity: both characters are working to save a life. Using a familiar narrative tactic in a different way, Rogers marks the beginning of a shift in Alex’s character and develops the theme of Maturing When Faced with Adversity. When the dog is injured, Alex’s thinking veers from himself to what the animal needs and the boy acts without hesitation to get him to a veterinarian. In a moment of crisis, Alex is maturing much more than when he simply wakes up another year older.

“The Man in the White Shirt helped the cop lower another injured victim onto a plastic chair. They were inside a makeshift medical tent that had been set up just beyond the disaster zone. He and the cop had somehow become a team; this was the fifth person they’d carried over from West Broadway.”

This passage highlights the theme of Heroism in Ordinary People in several ways: The man helps others instead of immediately leaving, the makeshift medical tent suggests that many others rushed into action to aid victims, and the policewoman represents all first responders who provide support. Furthermore, immediately following this is a description of Mac’s son, Bobby, who dresses in a white shirt and works in the World Trade Center. The Man in the White Shirt is still unnamed, but these details suggest that he may be Bobby.

“Alex continued to stare at the broken skyline. His mind raced as he struggled to think of a way out of this. He had to undo the damage and bring his father home.”

Despite seeing the extent of the devastation from afar, Alex still thinks he can “undo” the damage. This thinking shows his lingering immaturity and naïveté because he believes he brought about the tragedy by saying hateful words to his father and that he can somehow reverse the horror.

“He turned around to find a filthy gray bird flapping around on the pavement at his feet. It was struggling, unable to fly, its body and wings coated with grime. The Man in the White Shirt bent down with the bottle and poured water over the bird’s body.

[…]

A snow white dove now stood before him glistening in the sun. The dove tested its wings with a couple of flaps, then soared away in a blinding flurry of white.”

A dove is typically symbolic of peace because of its pure white color. However, this bird is unable to fly due to the “grime” coating its feathers, a result of the collapsed buildings. It is not until the man rinses the bird’s wings that the white color and ability to fly return. These details represent the notion that peace is tenuous and takes work. Although it seems unlikely that the bird will fly at first, with aid from the man, that unlikely hope becomes a reality.

“The old man reached down and scratched Radar behind the ears, careful to avoid his bandage. Radar wagged his tail happily. Radar obviously knew the old man and liked him, so Alex breathed a little easier and figured the old man must be okay.”

This passage describes the moment when the kids first meet Mac. Dogs are perceptive about people, and Radar’s trust in the man proves that Mac is a good person. Furthermore, when Alex breathes easier, he reveals that he has been holding his breath or being cautious around this stranger, a sign of his growing maturity.

“‘He goes off every morning in a crisp white shirt. And every night he comes home wrinkled and pit-stained with his sleeves rolled up.’

‘That’s just like my dad.’”

Alex and Mac share similar details about their loved ones: Bobby, Mac’s son, and Alex’s father. As a result, this passage builds suspense because either man could be the Man in the White Shirt trying to find his way home. Furthermore, it creates an anxious tone as the man’s identity is unclear, and while both Alex and Mac wait for a loved one, there is only one Man in the White Shirt.

“In a gutter in downtown Manhattan, half-buried under a piece of sheet metal, a lost cell phone buzzed to life.

But the Man in the White Shirt was no longer there to answer the call.”

This brief chapter builds suspense as both Alex and Mac call loved ones at this time, suggesting that the man is one of their family members. The anonymity of the man reflects the experience of so many Americans at this time who were desperately trying to reach loved ones.

“Sometimes when a terrible thing happens, it can make a beautiful thing seem even more precious.”

Mac says this after explaining how he shifted his perspective after his wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. At first, he was devasted, but then he learned to cherish every moment with her. This message of hope is a lesson Mac imparts to Alex, who struggles to navigate the horror and uncertainty of the day. Mac’s words demonstrate that this novel is a bildungsroman, a coming-of-age story about how Alex learns and matures.

“Mac bent over to pick up the plane. Alex could tell he was disappointed. For a while, they’d been able to forget their troubles and just have fun, and neither of them wanted it to end just yet. As Mac stood up with the plane, Alex put a hand on his arm.

‘One more?’”

After flying model airplanes for a while, Alex declares that he must get Nunu home. Although Mac understands, he wishes they could prolong the moment, demonstrating the connection the two have built in such a short time. Furthermore, Alex’s perception here demonstrates his growing maturity, for he is noticing others and considering their feelings.

“He felt a twinge of guilt; he had no business staring at planes when the ones who depended on him were still waiting.”

As the Man in the White Shirt stands on the George Washington Bridge to admire an F-15 overhead, he is plagued with guilt because instead of hurrying home to loved ones, he takes a moment to enjoy something he loves: planes. This guilt shows how selfless and admirable he is since he has spent the entire day helping others.

“But today was different. Everyone looked kind of sad; some kept their gaze on the floor, others watched intently out the window. But there was no sign of bus face anywhere. Then it happened again: he caught eyes with a man in a suit; the man nodded and gave him a little smile. Incredible. Four times in one day.”

Typically, on the bus, passengers do not interact or even make eye contact. Today, Alex marvels at how kind people seem. His observations highlight how people seek connection amid tragedy, and he notices the light in the darkness: One good thing to arise today is the care people show one another.

“He reached out, just like his father, and quietly began to stroke Nunu’s head. Nunu shifted on her pillow, unburying her face. Alex continued to brush her hair with his fingers, drawing his hand across her forehead in long, slow strokes, barely touching her, as soft as if he were petting a baby bird. Nunu’s breathing began to slow.”

Emulating his father’s bedtime routine with Nunu, Alex calms his sister into a peaceful sleep. His actions showcase how much he has learned and matured in one day. Just watching his father teaches Alex more than he realizes. Having experienced adversity, he can put that knowledge to use in a responsible and loving way, the mark of maturity.

“He looked back at the house, where he could see the light from inside spilling out his front door. He couldn’t just let Radar go. But he couldn’t leave his sister alone.”

When Radar runs off, Alex makes the unselfish and mature decision to let the dog go because he cannot leave his sister alone in the house. This decision contrasts with his actions earlier that day when he lost Nunu at the park. Here, Alex chooses a different option: to put his sister’s needs above his own desires.