Supergifted

When Chloe and Abigail find GradeWorm on Heavy Metal, Abigail remarks that “[i]t isn’t anything that belongs on Heavy Metal’s hard drive” (164). This carries a metaphorical meaning in relation to Noah’s actions and their consequences. GradeWorm is out of place, disruptive, and potentially harmful; Noah contaminated Heavy Metal’s drive by hiding it there. Similarly, Noah’s fame and superkid status led him astray from his true self, causing him to make misguided decisions.

Chloe, however, argues that Noah’s naivete makes him less than fully responsible for the debacle with Heavy Metal. This echoes Donovan’s rationale for shielding Noah from backlash and explains why, though Noah does face narrative repercussions for GradeWorm, he does not for posing as the superkid. Despite Noah’s initial worry that people might hold his lie against him, the superkid episode quickly loses its significance in the public mind. Donovan’s actions help with this, but the response also suggests the fleeting nature of public interest and the transient nature of fame. The “biggest story in the world” suddenly loses its impact (169), and people stop caring about it. This emphasizes the story’s message about Dynamics of Identity, Growth, and Self-Acceptance: Because external validation is impermanent, it is important to stay true to oneself. In the end, Noah realizes that his intelligence, his access to YouTube, and the support of his friends are what truly matter to him. These bring him happiness and fulfillment—particularly Friendship and Loyalty, which Noah learns do not necessarily follow a linear or predictable pattern. Friendships can experience periods of deterioration or distance while retaining the potential to revive and become stronger than ever before. Noah therefore embraces the idea that relationships require effort, understanding, and forgiveness. He learns to navigate the complexities of friendship with a sense of hope and openness, though, characteristically, there are times when he still fumbles. His apology to Donovan, for example, fails to recognize the true problem with his behavior. However, Noah does recognize that his actions hurt his friend, and Donovan, presumably realizing that, accepts both the apology and his friend for who he is.

The contrast between the superficial fame that Noah receives as the supposed superkid and the genuine acknowledgement and admiration that Donovan, the real superkid, receives is noteworthy. Although Donovan never seemed to care much about Brad’s opinion of him, Brad’s praise ends up holding significant meaning for Donovan. While Noah may have basked in attention as the superkid, Donovan feels “pretty supergifted” when he gets genuine acknowledgement from the people close to him.