Theories of Relativity

Dylan guards his backpack more closely than anything. What is the significance of Dylan’s backpack, and how does losing it mark a shift in Dylan’s nature?

The characters who live on the street all represent different factors that contribute to teenage homelessness. How do the differing circumstances of Twitch, Amber, Jenna, and Dylan reveal the multifaceted issues that contribute to homelessness?

The resources for street kids, while minimal, are often underutilized by the characters in the novel. Explain why these characters tend to overlook or disregard places like the youth center and people like Ainsley.

Dylan’s theories play an important role in conveying his mindset. How do smaller theories, like proving Twitch can’t read and believing things are larger when you’re younger, help contribute to Dylan’s character development?

Several of the characters, particularly the antagonists, are one-dimensional and stereotypical. Why does the author depict characters like Vulture, Lurch, and the Bandana Kids with so little depth? What is the purpose of keeping their characterization flat and static rather than dynamic and nuanced?

Dylan is a teenage boy, and the attitude of a typical teenage boy colors his commentary throughout the novel. How does Dylan’s first-person, present-tense perspective shape the structure and flow of the novel?

Given the cycles that Dylan describes with his mom’s many partners and children, how do you think her marriage to Dan will compare? Will she continue the cycle, or will she be content with Dan’s contributions to the family?

Many of the characters have street names given to them by Vulture, chosen for themselves, or assigned by Dylan (who doesn’t know their names). What is the significance of street names versus real names, and how do they help to define a character’s role on the streets?