A Corner of the Universe

Adam’s suicide has a profound effect on Hattie’s family and the town of Millerton. Hattie uses Adam’s death and the lessons she learned from him as a catalyst for change within her community, family, and herself. Themes of family communication and friendship reach fruition as Hattie embraces the joyful aspect of Adam’s life philosophy.

By speaking at Adam’s funeral, Hattie helps dispel the stigmatization of mental illness. She stands up to Millerton’s shallow and pejorative misjudgment of Adam as a “freak.” Hattie shows everyone that Adam had good times and bad, and fears and joys just as they do—Adam was as human as they are and did not deserve to be marginalized. Hattie advocates empathy and communication.

Hattie faces the adult task of coping with grief. She recognizes that everyone in her family reacts to Adam’s death differently, but in accordance with their personalities and their approaches to Adam. Nana holds her pain inside, as she has controlled her emotions throughout the novel. Uncle Hayden surmises correctly that Nana, in her grief, is “pinched and held in” (170). Her tears, when they come, are silent, and she has trouble reaching out for comfort. Papa also internalizes his emotions, initially turning to isolation and alcohol to manage his grief.

Hattie herself progresses through several waves of grief-filled emotions: an initial period of numbness where time seems to stretch out and blur, misplaced anger directed at Angel Valentine, and disappointment with Adam at being a “big baby” for leaving the way he did. On their family vacation, as she and her parents take “time alone” each day to process their emotions, Hattie moves towards acceptance and reflection. She assures Adam that she is not angry at him, and even feels that it took a lot of courage for such a life-loving individual to end his life. Hattie now aspires to live hers more authentically. She asserts her emotional needs to her family, insisting that they need to communicate more going forward, though their commitment is lukewarm. After the funeral, Hattie feels older, and no longer cares about Nancy or Janet and their petty attacks.

Some questions and issues remain unresolved. The novel never defines Adam’s illness, and readers never learn whether it is hereditary. Hattie, however, decides that she is not that much like Adam after all, and decides that only her shy personality held her back from making friends. The adults do not grow as much as Hattie does. Nana and Papa, though depressed, continue their lives with minimal interruption. Mom and Dad agree to communicate more, but do not ask Hattie questions or volunteer information.

Adam and Leila showed Hattie how to make friends and have confidence in herself. Hattie can befriend Catherine and empathize with her because of their shared losses. The adult life lesson of loss makes Hattie appreciate the important things in life more deeply. Hattie’s understanding and sense of self have matured. She understands the importance of living every day with joy and exploring one’s boundaries—peeking under those corners of the universe, instead of watching life go by without her.