We Are the Ants

The conclusion of We Are the Ants demonstrates Henry’s full character development and resolves the unresolvable. Henry finally decides to push the button because he has discovered the worth of human life in his loved ones. Seeing Zooey’s goodness, Charlie’s newfound love, Diego’s potential, Audrey’s kindness, and his mother’s potential make Henry realize that the world is larger than his nihilism. He wants the world to continue so that his loved ones can continue living, even if he doesn’t believe he is worthy of life. Henry embraces the pain of being alive because he discovers that where there is pain, there is the potential to overcome pain and become happy. Pain is not the defining characteristic of human life, thus inspiring Henry to appreciate his present and look forward to his future.

Henry hasn’t disavowed his nihilism; instead, he has realized that being nihilistic about the world can allow him to live in his present with a commitment to finding happiness. Life may not be long, and the world could literally end tomorrow, but Henry can finally enjoy living in the moment.

Notably, Henry’s abductions stop once he decides to press the button. When Henry checks into inpatient psychiatric treatment, he talks about the sluggers with his doctor. These two facts imply or question that Henry’s abductions were only real in his mind. There are two possibilities that Hutchinson teases his reader with. Either the sluggers aren’t real, and they are a figment of Henry’s fears and depression, or they are real and remain a threat to Henry and the world. Either way, Henry lets go of his attachment to the sluggers and decides they will not influence how he lives his life. Hutchinson ends his novel on an open-ended note. The last action-based chapter takes place the day before the world's supposed to end. The reader does not see if the world ends or if Henry gets abducted again that night so he can press the button. In fact, the date of January 29 is extremely important to Henry’s character development because it can either confirm or deny his abductions. But Hutchinson’s point in keeping his conclusion open-ended is to leave the reader with the message of human resilience against a frighteningly uncertain world. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter if the world ends or not because Henry’s journey is toward an appreciation of the moment instead of concerning himself with the endless variables of the future. Hutchinson emphasizes this message in his final words, in which he subverts the original significance of his title. In the first chapter of the novel, Henry uses the metaphor of ants to compare humans to creatures who are routinized, meaningless, and small. But in the final chapter, Henry uses the same metaphor to compare humans to creatures who are community-based and resilient. This parallel structure highlights Henry’s character development.

Hutchinson also uses these chapters to encourage his readers to consider the importance of asking for help. For months, Henry has been mired by his guilt over Jesse’s death, while Jesse’s best friend Audrey learned how to come to terms with his death because she sought help in an institution that taught her how to remove herself from Jesse’s death. The moment Henry admits to his mother that he's not okay is an important plot twist. In revealing his vulnerabilities, Henry can get the help he needs to acknowledge and deal with his past. Hutchinson encourages his readers to see seeking help as an important part of maturing and healing. Marcus and Diego are also forced to seek help, with Marcus in rehab and Diego in anger management classes. This emphasizes that everyone struggles with internal conflict that can be managed by seeking help. Henry’s mother figures out that the red button is metaphorical because it represents Henry’s internal conflict about suicide. Jesse never received the help he needed, leading to his death by suicide, but there is still hope for Henry because of the mere fact that he is alive and therefore has endless potential.

When Henry finally tells Ms. Faraci and, later, the police that Marcus has been attacking him for months and attempted to rape him, Henry advocates for himself and frees himself of the belief that he deserves physical abuse. By advocating for himself, Henry gains a newfound sense of autonomy and self-worth. This action also helps hold Marcus accountable, though, in an implied hint of homophobia, the police decide not to press rape charges against him. Still, this event helps Marcus get the help he needs and, more importantly, gives Henry more confidence in himself, trust in adults, and hope that his future will be violence-free.