Supergifted

Friendship is key to the novel, which emphasizes that true loyalty transcends appearances and that connection is vital to human life: “[N]othing [is] more important than having friends” (92). Through the central pair of friends—Noah and Donovan—the book delves into the idea of being loyal to one’s friends and standing by them through thick and thin.

Noah arrives at Hardcastle excited to finally have friends—primarily Donovan but also the Daniels, whom Donovan enlists to help protect Noah from bullies. Donovan does this because he understands and appreciates his friend for who he is. Rather than resenting Noah’s abilities, he generously says that Noah is the only “actual genius” he has ever met in his life. However, he also recognizes that Noah’s social and physical awkwardness makes him vulnerable in many ways. Donovan is always protecting Noah at the gym, “hurl[ing] himself between the ball and [Noah]” to protect the latter (19). Later, when he sees Hashtag preparing to beat up Noah, he makes a desperate dive and tackles Hashtag only to be punched by him. Even when Noah claims credit for Donovan’s own heroism, Donovan sets aside his frustration and continues trying to protect him, warning him that people like Trussman and Megan do not have his best interests at heart, whatever they claim.

Noah’s interaction with this theme is more complex. He lacks practical experience having friends but is eager to put what he observes into action; having ascertained that “when you [have] friends, you [have] to be loyal” to them (43), Noah tries to help Donovan in a variety of ways. First, he decides to fight Hashtag on Donovan’s behalf, knowing that Donovan can’t approach Hashtag because of Beatrice. The same principle guides Noah to claim the identity of the superkid, as seeing Donovan worry about possible discovery “[breaks] [Noah’s] heart” (60). In both cases, however, Noah’s difficulty understanding social situations causes his gestures to go badly awry. This difficulty also contributes to Noah’s seemingly disloyal behavior during his stint as the superkid. Because Noah has always wanted friends but never had them, he is particularly susceptible to the influx of superficial attention that fame brings. He also doesn’t understand that much of that attention is opportunistic, writing off Donovan’s warnings about Trussman as jealousy. Finally, he applies his highly analytical understanding of friendship to his new friends and concludes that he would be ignoring obligations to them if he spent more time with Donovan, failing to understand that longstanding relationships typically carry more responsibilities than newer ones.

Donovan confronts Noah about his actions but ultimately forgives him, demonstrating the depth of their friendship and his willingness to accept Noah as he is. However, Noah has come to a better understanding of friendship by this point. He recognizes that he has hurt Donovan and apologizes, even if he doesn’t quite understand for what. Most importantly, he realizes that “friendship [doesn’t] follow the mathematical principle of radioactive decay” (170). Although the fact that friendship can’t be calculated or scientifically analyzed makes it difficult for Noah to understand, it also is what gives it its vitality, resilience, and value.