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The Astronaut
As Maddy begins to experience more curiosity about the world outside her sanitized home, the ocean functions as a representation of life outside in the real world. For Maddy, asking Olly about what it’s like to swim in the ocean is the easiest way for her to begin asking questions about the world outside and what it’s like to inhabit it. Maddy feels her own life open up as later, in Hawaii, she swims in the ocean and even jumps into it off of cliffs. Further, in much the same way as life isn’t all good and fun, the ocean isn’t simply a thing of wonder. Olly cautions Maddy to be wary and respectful of the ocean, as, like life itself, it may be inarguably beautiful and compelling—but it can also be deadly and dangerous.
The Ocean Quotes in Everything, Everything
The Everything, Everything quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Ocean. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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21. Future Perfect; Olly
Quotes
“I’ve seen pictures and videos, but what’s it like to actually be in the water? Is it like taking a bath in a giant tub?”
“Sort of,” he says slowly, considering. “No, I take it back. Taking a bath is relaxing. Being in the ocean is scary. It’s wet and cold and salty and deadly.”
That’s not what I was expecting. “You hate the ocean?”
He’s grinning now, warming to his topic. “I don’t hate it. I respect it.” He holds up a single finger. “Respect. It’s Mother Nature at her finest—awesome, beautiful, impersonal, murderous. Think about it: All that water and you could still die of thirst. And the whole point of waves is to suck your feet from under you so that you drown faster. The ocean will swallow you whole and burp you out and not notice you were even there.”
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60. Here Now; Madeline’s Dictionary
Quotes
“Be careful,” Olly calls out from somewhere behind me.
I’m not sure what that means in this context. Be careful because I may drown? Be careful because I may get sick? Be careful because once you become a part of the world it becomes a part of you, too?
Because there’s no denying it now. I’m in the world.
And, too, the world is in me.
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The Ocean Symbol Timeline in Everything, Everything
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Ocean appears in Everything, Everything. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
21. Future Perfect; Olly
...go most. Maddy first says outer space, but then says she wants to see the ocean. Olly offers to describe the ocean, so Maddy asks if being in it is like...
(full context)
60. Here Now; Madeline’s Dictionary
...and Olly ride toward their hotel, the car turns and suddenly, Maddy can see the ocean. She declares that she can’t believe that she’s been missing the entire world and Olly...
(full context)
64. Jump; Cliff Diving: A Guide
Maddy surprises Olly by wading into the ocean right away. She and Olly swim around the reef. They find the humuhumunukunukuapuaa right away,...
(full context)
69. This Time
...mom, he’s trapped by memories of better times. She and Olly sit and watch the ocean.
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70. Spiral; The End
...her dream of running away from home with the boy she loves. She sees the ocean and falls asleep in a noisy room with him. In her dream, she dreams the...
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72. Readmitted
...Maddy could’ve done this to her after everything. Maddy feels like her guilt is an ocean drowning her.
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83. Outside
...laughs and thinks that she’s never been sick. She feels like she’s struggling in an ocean as Mom comes outside and fearfully tells Maddy to go back inside because she’s sick...
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