Navigating Early

Navigating Early is narrated by Jack Baker, the story’s protagonist, as he goes on a quest with his friend, Early Auden. However, at one point in the story, Jack notes how he is simply joining Early on the latter’s quest; the novel’s plot frequently confirms Early’s worldview, and the title can be read as Jack’s attempts to understand his friend.

Early is described as having odd mannerisms by the other boys at school: He occasionally has seizures, is fairly aloof and asocial, and does things as he pleases, such as living in the workshop by himself and attending only the classes he wants to. He displays extraordinary genius in certain areas, such as his mathematical calculations, workmanship, and superior ability to draw connections and form deductions. However, he is also seen struggling in other aspects of his life, especially owing to his fixed perspectives and difficulties in tolerating opinions other than his own. He walks out of classes when he disagrees with the teacher, and he gets extremely upset, responding emotionally and physically when Jack questions Early’s unlikely beliefs, such as his belief that his brother is still alive or his insistence that pi must be an irrational number.

In the Author’s Note, Vanderpool mentions that she drew inspiration for Early’s character from Daniel Tammet’s book, Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant. Tammet shares some characteristics with Early, such as being able to perform extraordinary mathematical calculations in his head and seeing numbers as having shapes, colors, and textures (297-98). However, the term autism is not mentioned in the book at all, and Vanderpool notes this is consistent with the period it is set in, as World War II is ending. At this time in history, an understanding of autism was still developing. Although the term itself was first coined in 1908 and first applied as a diagnosis to children in 1943, autism was often conflated and confused with psychosis, particularly schizophrenia, and believed to be a psychiatric illness. It only came to be seen as a neurotype (a kind of brain profile for development) in the 1960s, and not until the 1990s was it seen to be a spectrum of conditions. Despite this, and the extensive research that has taken place on autism, there is still no clear understanding of its causes—it is seen as a combination of genetic, biological, and environmental factors (Zeldovich, Lina. “The Evolution of ‘Autism’ as a Diagnosis, Explained.“ Spectrum, 2022).

The “Autistic Savant” trope reflects a popular and inaccurate understanding of autism. Frequently, portrayals of characters with autism tend to rely on the “Autistic Savant” trope, giving the inaccurate sense that genius must accompany autism. This trope is often seen as offensive by autistic people, as it reduces autism to a “price to pay” for the “superpower” of the character’s unique genius. People with autism often note that this assumption of genius places undue burdens on them to excel in areas of life that are often difficult for them. 

Early displays some behaviors consistent with a modern-day understanding of autism. He has problems with social communication and interaction: Jack appears to be the first friend he has made at school, and he does not interact with any of the other boys. He displays restricted interests and some repetitive behaviors, seen in the specific days he has for certain music that he does not deviate from and his sorting of jellybeans to calm himself down or organize his thoughts. Although not exclusively symptomatic of autism, seizures are more prevalent in individuals with autism (“Autism and Seizures.“ Autism Research Institute, 2021). Synesthesia is a “neuropsychological trait in which the stimulation of one sense causes the automatic experience of another sense” (“Synesthesia.” Encyclopediaædia Britannica, 2023). The most common form is grapheme-color synesthesia, in which individuals perceive specific colors associated with numbers or letters. Early experiences this and more, with the digits of the number pi revealing not just colors but letters and words that tell him a story.

Ultimately, however, Early is more than just a diagnosis, and Vanderpool likely avoids mentioning the term autism for this reason as well as historical accuracy. Rather, she draws inspiration from the experiences of individuals with autism to flip the script in her book. Individuals with autism struggle to navigate a world largely designed for allistic (not autistic) people; in this book, Jack struggles to navigate within a world that aligns more closely with Early’s beliefs, in which he turns out to be right about most, if not all, things. Early is a unique, talented, brilliant young boy, who is also sensitive, misunderstood, and grieving his own losses in a similar way to Jack. Thus, Vanderpool’s creation of Early works engenders empathy while offering a glimpse into a different way of perceiving the world.