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Chapter 14: Chase Ambrose
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Restart, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Identity, Memory, and Responsibility
Reputation vs. Reality
Masculinity
Social Hierarchies and Bullying
Loyalty
Summary
Analysis
Brendan has a massive crush on Kimberly, but she clearly likes Chase. Brendan develops a plan: he’ll impress Kimberly by getting her to collaborate with him on a YouTube short, which will lead her to realize he’s “destined” to be “famous.” She refuses the collaboration, however, until Brendan tells her that Chase will work on it too. When Brendan asks for Chase’s help with the short—which Brendan has titled Leaf Man—Chase says he’s too busy with Shoshanna and Mr. Solway, but he eventually gives in to Brendan’s wheedling.
Brendan’s plan to woo Kimberly is based on a belief that the higher your social status, the more people like you. Brendan, an “uncool” kid, currently has low social status—but he wants to convince Kimberly that eventually he’ll be a “famous” YouTube star, i.e., a much higher-status person. Yet it isn’t at all clear whether Brendan’s assumptions about Kimberly are correct: after all, her crush on Chase has persisted even though he isn’t currently playing football, and she’s joined the “uncool” video club in order to spend more time with him.
Themes
Brendan, Chase, and Kimberly meet in the park, where Brendan puts on rollerblades and asks Chase and Kimberly to cover him in syrup. When Kimberly, baffled, asks why, Brendan explains that he’s going to rollerblade into a pile of leaves and come out as “Leaf Man.” Chase and Kimberly pour syrup on Brendan and film him rollerblading at dangerous speed into the leaves. After crashing, Brendan catches his breath a moment, stands up covered in sticky leaves, and yells, “Leaf Man!” Then every dog in the park rushes over to lick syrup off him. Chase films it, laughing hysterically. Kimberly doesn’t understand why it’s funny—but despite that, Brendan’s even more infatuated with her than before.
Like Chase, Aaron, and Bear putting cherry bombs in a piano, Brendan has an eye for stupid, dangerous, visually spectacular stunts. The relevant difference is, Brendan’s stunts aren’t intended to frighten, intimidate, or bully anyone, and the only person they endanger is Brendan himself.
Themes
