The Realm of Possibility

The Realm of Possibility by David Levithan, published by Borzoi / Alfred A. Knopf; 1st edition (August 10, 2004)


Plot: The Realm of Possbility does not a have a continuous plot; rather, it is a collection of prose-poetry (in free verse) that jumps from character to character who are all experiencing the same sort of emotions within the same high school. They're isolated, confused teens without a good sense of who they are or where they're going, which provides a great sense of relatability (I would think) for the teens of today. Each story involves different circumstances and perspective, but the interrelatedness of the stories becomes quickly apparent.


Analysis: This story excels at something that most teens are lacking--the ability to jump from one's initial perspective to that of another's. By dramatically bringing together these seemingly different characters into a fold, Levithan accomplishes what high school fails to do: deliver a sense of universality that human beings inherently possess. Two of the stories are centered around homosexual characters and treats them as normal human beings, which I greatly appreciated considering that our culture has historically treated it as anything but.


Teachability: I think that this story was extremely teachable. I found it engaging, a fast read, emotionally truthful, and presenting important themes surrounding identity and identity development. We live in an exceedingly compartmentalized world, and this book helps break those barriers down by exploring what brings us together rather than pull us apart.