Now Is Not the Time to Panic

The physical descriptions of Zeke—“skinny and twitchy,” “goofy smile,” “teeth bright white and painfully crooked” (9)—contribute to his characterization as socially awkward. He is portrayed as unlike the other teen boys in Coalfield, who are masculine and rowdy, insensitive and brutish. Importantly, he serves as a foil to Frankie’s brothers, who, as triplets, are interchangeable copies of one another and without distinct personalities. Frankie, though initially wary of Zeke, does not dispute their shared social-outcast status. Zeke’s role as the new kid in Coalfield is instrumental in the establishment of his friendship with Frankie. Because he knows no one, he is a kind of blank slate, able to make or remake his identity as he sees fit. He decides to go by his middle name that summer, suggesting a trying on of a new persona, a desire to distance himself from the person he was in Memphis.

His interest in so-called low art, such as comic books and graffiti, makes Zeke intriguing to Frankie, and she appreciates that he does not attempt to hide this part of himself from her. It encourages her to admit she is drafting a novel, and he immediately encourages her artistic passions. The declaration of his desire to spend the summer making art portrays him as a somewhat melodramatic teen with a hyperbolic view of his own art’s importance. Yet Zeke is not overtly proud, showy, or self-absorbed. That he does not wish to draw attention to himself or be in the spotlight suggests that making art for art’s sake—not fame or notoriety—is what drives Zeke to create. Indeed, as an adult he will maintain this approach, keeping a low online profile and refusing to use his real name in association with his art.

In some ways, despite his self-proclaimed weirdness and social-outcast status, Zeke is a typical teenager. He initially acts awkward around Frankie’s mother but is polite and pleasant, thus earning her trust. He lacks the overt masculinity and interest in sex that Frankie assumes to be typical of boys their age, and when their relationship becomes romantic, he and Frankie are more accurately categorized as close friends who sometimes kiss than as “boyfriend and girlfriend.” In this way, theirs is an atypical connection. His disapproval of his father’s affair makes him sympathetic to Frankie’s fatherless circumstances and likely contributes to curbing any sexual urges he may have.

Zeke’s mental illness and ultimate diagnosis of bipolar disorder impact his life most of all. As a teen, he is undiagnosed, and the extent to which he suspects he may have a mental condition is not clear. Once he is an adult, his diagnosis helps Zeke to explain much of who he is, namely that it causes him to become unhealthily obsessed or fixated, or, as he puts it, “get too carried away” (226). Though such mental-health struggles could have proven harmful to Zeke, he is able to manage his condition through the support of his family, doctors, medication, and other resources. Ultimately, his condition need not be at odds with his passion for art, and Zeke’s career as a comic-book artist, albeit a somewhat unremarkable one, seems satisfying.

Frankie’s mother plays an increasingly important role as the novel progresses. Frankie paints a contrasting picture of her before and after her divorce from Frankie’s father. Before the divorce, she is rigid and uptight, “frown[ing] a lot” (48) and appearing generally unhappy. Frankie admits to being “slightly afraid of her, even though I knew that she loved me” (48). The divorce and subsequent restart without Frankie’s father “loosens” her mother (48). There is a carefree lightness to her. She is cheerful and upbeat. Frankie attributes some of this change to her mother’s relationship with Hobart.

Frankie respects her mother, and they have a healthy relationship. When her mother suspects Frankie and Zeke may be growing closer, she provides Frankie with condoms; though she is embarrassed, Frankie understands that her mother does so out of love and concern. Her mother is careful to provide rules, boundaries, and stability for Frankie but careful also not to stifle her—evidenced by her allowing Frankie to travel with Zeke to Memphis. Similarly, she is concerned for Frankie’s emotional well-being, relieved when Frankie assures her the car accident was not a suicide attempt. She praises Frankie for her novel writing and recognizes that Frankie’s passions are unlike those of other teens. Importantly, she does not discourage Frankie’s nonconformity and repeatedly reassures Frankie that the trials of teenage-hood will be temporary. In short, she is consistently a positive force of support for teenage Frankie.

As her mother ages, she becomes increasingly unfettered. She is quirky and unique, becoming obsessed with collecting sneakers and generally living as a free spirit. Importantly, she is just as concerned for Frankie’s well-being as she was when Frankie was a teen. She attempts to deter Frankie from informing Zeke that their authorship of the poster will be made public, concerned that encountering him may prove detrimental to Frankie’s emotional well-being. In this way, she continues to guide and “mother” Frankie. Most significantly, she admits to Frankie that she has known all along that Frankie authored the poster. Despite Frankie’s worry that the admission would alarm and disappoint her mother, her mother does not stand in judgment of Frankie’s actions. Her unconditional support is an important force throughout Frankie’s life and informs Frankie’s confidence as an artist as well as her own role as a mother.