Ability to Cope / Survive

While the main character of the novel, Greg, does not necessarily experience any personal growth throughout the novel, he gains more experience and an appreciation for his personal skill of being able to survive in tricky scenarios. Even though Greg endures a number of potentially threatening or anxiety-inducing situations at school and in the neighborhood, he is skilled at surviving them and then moving on to the next one with an easy-going attitude. The theme of survival is introduced in the opening pages of the novel, in regard to Greg’s personal concerns about global warming. In particular, as Greg considers what is necessary in order to survive, he notes that being dominant is perhaps an entirely separate skill from survival. Greg writes: “I’ve read that’s what happened with the DINOSAURS. They were riding high for a couple hundred million years...