Things Not Seen Theme of Perseverance

Other people might use their newfound status as an invisible person to be lazy and just sit around and watch television, but not Bobby. In Things Not Seen, he is immediately determined to live his life as normally as possible—even if that means putting himself in uncomfortable situations, such as going out in the Chicago winter buck naked.

He is also determined when it comes to fixing his problem so that his parents don't have to go to jail in order to protect him; there's no way that he's going to let that happen. Alicia shows an admirable amount of perseverance, too; she doesn't let her disability hold her back, and is always down to help Bobby out, even when it involves breaking into a big company's legal department. Go team.

Questions About Perseverance

  1. Why do you think Bobby goes out the very same day that he becomes invisible?
  2. Do you think that Bobby and Alicia's dad would have eventually figured out the blanket thing?
  3. What makes Alicia agree to go along with Bobby's crazy breaking and entering plan?

Chew on This

Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.

Even though his parents tell him to stay home and watch television, Bobby doesn't waste a single minute when he finds out that he's invisible. He knows that he has to take his life into his own hands, which is why he ventures out to the library despite the risks.

Their disabilities make both Bobby and Alicia determined to do things themselves instead of accepting help from their parents. That's why Alicia goes along with his plan to break into Sears, Roebuck and Company.