Things Not Seen Isolation Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #1

I can't go anywhere. Clothes are supposed to have a body inside them, and mine is missing. (1.75)

It's going to be hard for Bobby to go out into the world and socialize without a visible body. After all, people aren't exactly going to treat him the same as anyone else if he just looks like empty space.

Quote #2

Alone isn't new for me. I spend a lot of time this way. When I'm not at school, I mostly read. That's why I like the library, the big one between Fifty-sixth and Fifty-seventh Street. It's part of the university, not the high school. I can hang out there as long as I want. (2.28)

Even though Bobby is used to being alone, he's not used to being lonely. He's a normal kid with a normal life—he has friends and school to keep him busy. Without those things, he's kind of lost.

Quote #3

I'm out in public, but I am completely alone. There's action all around me. People are doing things and saying things, but it's like they're in a different dimension, like they're on a stage or screen. And me? I'm just watching, an audience of one, watching secretly. I can't talk or sneeze or clear my throat. (3.33)

Bobby's at the public library with a bunch of people… but he's completely isolated. It's not like he can talk to anyone; people can't even see him. It's like he's not even there.