Changing Perceptions

Luke’s perceptions of his surroundings, and of the other boys at Hendricks, and how these perceptions are altered as his circumstances change, form a key theme in the novel. When he is first brought to Hendricks Luke is overwhelmed by the size of the building, and by the sheer number of other students he encounters. Having only met six other people before in his entire life, Luke finds it impossible at first to tell one boy from another and is so miserable that he doesn’t really try. After he finds the door that leads to the outside, however, Luke understands that if he is going to be able to sneak back to the woods on a daily basis, he is going to have to pay closer attention to everything around him. Luke starts to actively explore his physical surroundings and pay close attention...