Symptoms of Being Human

Throughout the novel, characters turn to media from the past for comfort, stress relief, and inspiration. Riley frequently listens to music on a record player, and often wears band T-shirts from the 1970’s and 80’s. Their affinity for older music is also one of the few ways Riley bonds with their father, modifying an old Ramones shirt of his to better fit their frame, and helping him pick a new song for his campaign. Riley loves the music, but they also connect to these bands because of the artists’ ability to challenge traditional norms, either through the subject matter of their songs or outward presentation. This is why Riley chooses David Bowie for their blog’s avatar.

Solo and Bec also turn to media from the past, but for different reasons. For Solo, playing old video games at The Reagan Years arcade provides an outlet for his anger. His former nickname, Chewie, and current nickname, Solo, both originate from Star Wars characters. Bec’s interest in the past is rooted in grief over the death of her sister. Her desire to keep her sister’s memory alive, as well as her guilt over the death, causes her to keep Gabi’s half of their shared bedroom untouched. Bec also plays out aspects of her relationship with her sister in through Riley, introducing them to the Q and taking them on a date to the abandoned building she used to take her sister to.