Every kid has big, best-case-scenario plans for the future, but when Bobby wakes up invisible, all he wants to do is go back to school and his normal life. In Things Not Seen, Bobby and Alicia bond over the fact that they just want to be "normal" in the future—something that most people take for granted. Bobby wants to be able to make his way around the world without having to be completely nude all the time, and Alicia wants to get a job and live a normal life instead of being stuck with her overprotective mom all the time. These may be simple dreams, but achieving them is going to be harder than they thought.
Questions About Dreams, Hopes and Plans
- What does Alicia get from her visit to Sears, Roebuck and Company headquarters?
- Why does Bobby want to go back to school so badly?
- How do you think Sheila's invisibility furthers her career? How does it hold her back?
Chew on This
Alicia and Bobby bond when they meet because they have both had their dreams for the future taken away from them without their consent.
Alicia thinks that she's helping Bobby when she goes to break into Sears with him, but after she talks to the folks there about hiring practices for disabilities, she finds that he's helped her to see more opportunities for her future.