Well, there's one upside to becoming invisible: Bobby won't have to worry so much about preening in front of the mirror when he's getting ready in the morning. There is a great deal of discussion about Bobby's appearance (or rather, his nonappearance) in Things Not Seen.
When he wakes up with his alarming condition, Bobby is sure that his life is over. After all, how's he going to be able to do normal things if no one can see him? But despite the fact that he doesn't have a visible body, Bobby goes on to achieve great things (like figuring out why he's gone invisible), and even manages to score his first kinda-sorta-girlfriend. Not bad for a dude without any visible features.
Questions About Appearances
- Why do you think Sheila doesn't want to be visible anymore?
- Do you think Bobby would have had a chance with Alicia if she knew what he looked like from the beginning?
- How does being invisible make Bobby think differently about peoples' appearance?
Chew on This
Sheila declines Bobby's offer to help her become visible again because she doesn't want to worry about her appearance anymore; she's come to be proud of herself for her accomplishments, and not for the way she looks.
Bobby worries that Alicia would not like him if she knew what he looked like, but she is more interested in how he relates to her as a friend than his appearance.