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Summary
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Monday’s Not Coming, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Child Abuse
Family, Community, and Responsibility
Growing Up, Independence, and Friendship
Secrecy and Shame
Poverty, Social Support, and Desperation
Memory, Repression, and Trauma
Summary
Analysis
What follows is the story of how Claudia’s best friend disappeared. Nobody noticed the disappearance except Claudia, and nobody seemed to care until they found Claudia’s friend—a year later. It may seem impossible that a kid can disappear like this, but as Claudia’s Ma says, “not everyone circles the same sun.” Claudia only learned what Mama meant when Monday disappeared. It may also seem strange that this could happen in Washington, D.C., where some of the most powerful people in the world live. It’s “the president’s backyard.” Everyone in Claudia’s neighborhood (the Southeast) thought the same thing.
Ma’s insistence that “not everyone circles the same sun” introduces the idea that society cares more about some people than others—that is, some people aren’t seen as being as worthy of concern or resources. By suggesting that Claudia didn’t learn this until after Monday disappeared, it suggests that Claudia begins the story naively believing that everyone is treated the same.
Themes
According to Claudia’s doctor, she shouldn’t be talking about this anymore. But recently, there’s been a podcast re-examining what happened. Everyone sees the story differently, just like how everyone sees color differently—for the color pink, for instance, some people see rose or magenta, while others see salmon. But it’s still just pink. This story begins the day before Claudia starts eighth grade. It’s supposed to be her and Monday’s last year of middle school, and Claudia thought it would be “the best year of [their] lives.”
Claudia insists that there are many different ways to look at the story to come. The most prominent, however, is Claudia’s version and interpretation of events. Her story, then, will be filtered through her experience as a young teenage girl who’s looking forward to spending eighth grade with Monday. Claudia’s age and naiveté suggest that she won’t be a reliable narrator.
Themes
