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Chapter 21
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in This Is Where It Ends, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Gun Violence
Community and Tragedy
Family and Sibling Relationships
Change, Uncertainty, and Growing Up
Abuse
Summary
Analysis
Sylvia reflects that Tomás has always enjoyed gray days like today; he likes to harness the horses or go for a ride, even in the middle of the rain. Another shot rings out and it seems like another storm is coming “to make him fly.”
In order to avoid confronting the fact of Tomás’s death, Sylvia thinks back on the more joyous moments of their life together, showing how their bond will always be part of her life.
Themes
Claire watches as a blood-spattered student begs an officer for information about her friend, but he can’t even tell her if the other girl has made it out alive. Meanwhile Claire talks to Steve, whose sister is CJ, a tough girl in her JROTC squad. Blankly, he says that he doesn’t know where his sister is, and he leaves in one of the ambulances. All of the students carry their own stories out of the school, and all Claire can do is listen. Some talk about plans they were making with friends who are now dead, or about the brutality of Tyler’s behavior. Claire realizes that this job is much more difficult than she thought it would be, but suddenly Chris hugs her and tells her how brave she is.
Like many of the novel’s male characters, Claire initially believes that dramatically rescuing people is more difficult and worthwhile than providing emotional comfort and support; now, she realizes that this seemingly easy task requires just as much courage and ingenuity as physical action does. This moment argues for the importance and the difficulty of prioritizing emotional recovery in the wake of communal traumas like shootings.
Themes
Autumn walks down the seemingly endless second floor corridor, looking for Sylvia. As she rounds the corner she sees Tyler standing in the hallway over Tomás’s dead body, ranting that he can no longer “stop me from showing [Sylvia] her place.”
Tyler’s bizarre behavior demonstrates his obsession with subjugating the women in his life, seriously undermining his claim to be motivated by loneliness and legitimate grievances.
Themes
In her blog, Mei writes about the hope that each emerging survivor inspires in the bystanders, and the way the parents have banded together to support each other. Sylvia’s sick Mamá is confused and frightened, but Chris’s mother comes to stand next to her and soothes her. Meanwhile, Mei watches for her own father, Mr. Jameson, to make an appearance.
Throughout the novel, Mei’s blog is a reminder of the ability of community members to heal each other. At the same time, her optimism is tempered by the reader’s knowledge that she’ll soon have to cope with her own personal loss: her father’s death.
Themes
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