We Are All Made of Molecules

Ashley is 14 years old. She is a tall, pretty brunette who stands on the top rung of the social ladder at school. Ashley relishes her role as queen of the mean girls and is quick to point out the flaws and deficiencies of everyone around her. She emphasizes the superficial without an appreciation for inner beauty. She wants to date Jared, even though he is a bully. He looks good; his family is rich, and he’s a sports hero at school.

Ashley is so concerned about keeping her social status that she tries to cover up the fact that her father is gay. Her emphasis on appearances leads her to make disastrous choices that almost ruin her reputation permanently, and reveal her superficial values. After Stewart averts a catastrophe on her behalf, Ashley finally begins to appreciate people who have good hearts instead of good looks. Like Stewart, she is a dynamic character who changes during the course of the narrative. By the end of the novel, she shows humanity and empathy. She has become a bit more like Stewart, able to recognize the common humanity of all people, while Stewart has become more like her.

Jared is an attractive high school jock. Ashley describes him as “athletic and tall and broad-shouldered and gorgeous, with wavy black hair and brooding brown eyes” (38-39).

Jared is very careful to cultivate a perfect façade, but he is cruel. Stewart’s friends are quick to notice that he isn’t what he seems: “He’s got psycho eyes. You know, like he’s kind of dead inside” (139). Jared bullies Stewart until he realizes that he can use Stewart to get to Ashley. Then, he alters his behavior to suit his agenda of sexual conquest.

Even though Stewart confronts him about his behavior, Jared is unfazed. He sees himself as superior. Jared’s parents have reinforced his sense of entitlement by refusing to acknowledge or discipline his wrongdoing. Late in the novel, Stewart gives Jared a taste of his own medicine by humiliating him in public. Afterward, many students band together to protect Jared’s victims from future retaliation. Jared is a flat character, an antagonist who remains static in the novel. He doesn’t change for the better, but his bad behavior is held in check by those who can tell right from wrong.

Leonard is Stewart’s father and a producer at the local television news station. His wife died two years earlier, and he is still feeling grief over her loss. It isn’t until he begins dating Ashley’s mother that he starts to feel hopeful. Leonard is a kind and responsible parent. Once he and Stewart move in with the Andersons, he tries to ease the transition and make everyone comfortable. Unfortunately, his eccentric personal habits and those of his son are at odds with the orderly way that Caroline arranges her home. Even though Ashley behaves rudely toward him, Leonard keeps an even temper and exerts a positive influence in the Anderson home. 

Caroline is Ashley’s mother. She is a tall, attractive redhead who anchors the local evening news. Unlike Ashley, Caroline is a mature adult. She doesn’t let superficial appearances rule her life, even though she briefly succumbs to Jared’s flattery and approves of him dating her daughter. She eventually sees through Jared and tries to encourage Ashley to hone deeper values.

Caroline doesn’t hold a grudge against her ex-husband for their divorce and allows him to live in the laneway house in the backyard. She encourages him to begin dating and even includes his new boyfriend in holiday celebrations. While Ashley is appalled by her mother’s tolerance, she eventually comes to appreciate Caroline’s emotional maturity. By the end of the story, Caroline and Leonard succeed in merging their families together into a somewhat harmonious group.