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Chapter 24
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
The classroom door opens suddenly and Sylvia starts screaming. Confusion ensues as the police ascertain that she and Fareed aren’t armed, and question them about how they arrived on the top floor; Fareed explains that he and Tomás were the first ones to call the police. Sylvia wonders if Tomás can possibly be alive; maybe she only imagined the gunshots she heard. Fareed helps Sylvia stand up and they walk into the hall, where she sees Tomás’s body crumpled against the wall, next to Tyler’s. Even though she should feel “victorious” that her enemy is dead, she’s overcome by “emptiness.” Nearby, Autumn is alive but injured on the ground. She’s holding Tyler’s hand and can’t stop sobbing, even as the police try to move her.
It’s notable that the police initially seem to think that Fareed and Sylvia have been involved in the shooting; this shows how one act of violence can erode community members’ trust in each other, and also how perceived “outsiders” like Fareed can get blamed for problems they have nothing to do with. Sylvia’s feelings of emptiness demonstrate her rejection of revenge, which both her brother and Tyler have pursued until their deaths. In this moment, Sylvia chooses to extricate herself from the harmful patterns of male aggression and entitlement that have hitherto dominated her life.
Themes
CJ walks away towards one of the police vans and Claire returns to Chris, who is talking to an angry and distraught Asha. Too upset to be tactful, Asha snaps that Tyler killed both her sister and Claire’s brother, explaining that Matt got shot accidentally. The girls exchange condolences.
Asha’s brusque behavior is indicative not of her feelings towards Claire but rather of the fundamental trauma she’s suffered. While the two girls have a new understanding of each other, it’s important to understand that this intimacy— just like the broader community’s new sense of solidarity—comes at the terrible price of wasted young lives.
Themes
In a flashback, Claire remembers the day before Tracy’s deployment. Looking at her sister’s new uniform, Claire asks if she’s scared, but Tracy just tells her to take care of Matt; now that she’s the oldest sibling at home, she has to take on new responsibilities. In the present, Claire and Chris hold hands, not able to put their feelings into words. Suddenly, Claire announces that she wants to become a teacher, and Chris starts laughing. Their conversation is interrupted when a student runs into the tent and announces that Tyler has shot himself; she heard the information over the police radio.
Now that Matt is dead, Claire can’t fulfill the responsibility Tracy passed on to her. Her decision to become a teacher— thus taking responsibility for her community—is perhaps inspired by the need to redirect her energies. This moment suggests that community responsibility is inextricably linked to sincere personal relationships.
Themes
Overcome by pain, Autumn can’t stop thinking about her brother’s cruel smile as he shot her in the leg. Coming to her senses, she finds a police officer leaning over her and calling for a paramedic. She’s confused and terrified, but then Sylvia arrives to stroke her face and calm her down. Autumn wants to kiss her, no matter who sees them. When Sylvia looks down at her girlfriend’s knee in pity, Autumn knows that in his last action Tyler has ensured that she’ll never be able to dance again.
Even in his last moments of life, Tyler refuses to seek even a shred of redemption. Instead, he chooses to harm his sister as much as possible before he dies. In Autumn’s case, Tyler will always be present in her life through her injury, showing how sibling bonds—even abusive ones—always persist one way or another. However, it’s also important to note that the relationship by which he felt most threatened— Autumn’s bond with Sylvia—has survived even his most brutal attempts to destroy it.
Themes
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Sending a private message to the murdered Kevin Rolland, Jay mourns the fact that he’ll never be able to say goodbye, and he wishes he knew how little time they had together.
Writing to Kevin both allows Jay to feel close to his murdered friend and emphasizes the irrevocable end to their relationship.
Themes
