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Chapter 39
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Sun is Also a Star, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Immigration and the American Dream
Passion vs. Reason
Interconnectedness and Destiny
Isolation vs. Connection
Summary
Analysis
Natasha didn't expect Daniel to give up so easily and she didn't expect to feel disappointed. She reasons that she can't worry about him, as her future will be decided in moments. They awkwardly stand together, not really saying goodbye, until Natasha remembers Daniel's jacket and pulls it out of her backpack. She notes that he looks like he could work in the building, which doesn't flatter him like she meant it to.
For Natasha, the draw of the American dream is still stronger and more powerful than the connection she feels with Daniel. However, it's also worth noting that she seems more emotional about him than about her appointment, suggesting that their relationship may have more sway than the US
Themes
Daniel looks sad, and they awkwardly decide to hug. Natasha lets her head rest on his shoulder and lets him truly hold her for a moment. She doesn't look him in the eye when they pull apart. She thinks about him all the way up to the office suite of Attorney Jeremy Fitzgerald.
The sense of comfort and relief Natasha feels when Daniel holds her tells both her and the reader that the connection she feels with Daniel is something powerful and ultimately positive.
Themes
The office is under construction, and the paralegal looks pale and frazzled. She has bad news: Attorney Fitzgerald was hit by a car and he won't be back until the afternoon. Natasha is crushed. The paralegal pushes forms at Natasha, and it takes Natasha a while to fill them out. She wonders what, exactly, Attorney Fitzgerald wants to know—if he wants to know what it feels like to be undocumented. Natasha settles for facts and hands the forms back.
When Natasha begins to wonder if someone is actually interested in the emotional side of her situation, it shows that she's already beginning to learn from Daniel that emotion and passion aren't bad things. However, when she decides on facts instead of emotions, it shows that she still has a long way to go on this journey.
Themes
The paralegal flips through the forms and tells Natasha she needs to add more—"Jeremy" needs material to humanize Natasha. Natasha writes about how hardworking and patriotic she'd be, and thinks that Daniel would be proud of her. She wonders if he'll do the right thing and become a doctor, and if he'll wonder what happened to her, too.
The paralegal's guidance makes it abundantly clear that emotion is actually useful and can be used to create change—something that gives Daniel's way of looking at the world more credibility. Natasha's thoughts about Daniel suggest that she's beginning to accept their connection as fact.
Themes
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The office phone rings. It's Attorney Fitzgerald. The paralegal shakes with relief as happy tears fill her eyes. Natasha can tell that the paralegal is madly in love with him. When she gets off the phone and looks through Natasha's revised forms, she says that she thinks Natasha will be okay, and that Jeremy never loses. She says that there's hope. Natasha thinks of a poem from her English class, specifically the line "'Hope' is the thing with feathers." She thinks that she finally understands what that line means.
As Natasha begins to see that emotions and non-scientific pursuits have their place, "soft" things like poetry begin to seem like they actually have a place. Notice, however, that Natasha is willing to allow this kind of thought when her emotions are happy. This begins to show that she's not anti-passion or anti-emotion all the time. She just feels that way when the emotions are negative.
Themes
As Natasha leaves the office, she wonders at her newfound desire to hold onto hope. She remembers overhearing her parents fighting a few weeks ago. Peter hadn't wanted to know what she overheard. She thought he was silly at first, but later wished that she could un-hear what her parents said. Natasha considers telling her parents the news, but she really wants to talk to Daniel. She wishes she'd been nicer and gotten his phone number, and finally admits that there was something between them.
Natasha conflates her version of the American dream and its impending success with Daniel; this suggests she thinks that fantastical love can be part of that dream.
Themes
