We Dream of Space

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2020

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-5

Chapters 6-10

Chapter 11-15

Chapters 16-20

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Symbols & Motifs

Space Exploration

Major Havoc, Star Wars, Star Trek, and the Challenger are all featured within We Dream of Space, illustrating the cultural impact that space and space travel had upon the culture of the period. When Dani Logan suggests that space is “The Final Frontier,” in Ms. Salonga’s class, she is not only referring to a concept from Star Trek but acknowledging a human drive to explore and discover what is beyond current limits of understanding. Space symbolizes the dreams and aspirations of those who seek to rise to their highest of ambitions.

Bird’s Schematic Sketches

Bird’s detailed schematic drawings are her means of cataloguing all that she has learned. For Bird, machines symbolize order and reliability, a rational, purposeful design meant to perform consistently each time. She finds comfort in the concept of engineering, in being able to visualize and interpret how each part of the whole contributes to the overall function.

Early in the novel, the thought comes to Bird that a family is like a “complicated machine,” in that each person (or part) must function as intended for things to run smoothly. She draws a family schematic depicting each of the Thomases as a gear, all of them existing separately and independently, instead of with their teeth slotted together, working together.

Bird’s interest in machines and engineering may be academic in nature, but the happiness that she derives from discovering how they work symbolizes her yearning for the predictability and stability which do not exist in her own environment. When she discards them in the garbage, Bird is attempting to make a break with her dreams and aspirations by categorizing her schematics as something she no longer cares about.

Major Havoc

Major Havoc is an arcade game set in space, following Major Rex Havoc on his mission to destroy his enemies throughout the universe in his spaceship, the Catastrofighter. Major Havoc is also one of the less popular games among the patrons who frequent the arcade, and Fitch likes the idea that he can usually enjoy the game without being bothered. It is also a difficult game, and Fitch prides himself on his level of mastery and skill. His engagement with Major Havoc is one of the only areas in his life in which Fitch manages to maintain focus and patience. Major Havoc symbolizes Fitch’s desire for a situation where the outcomes are under his influence, and where all he requires is skill to navigate dangers and obstacles.

Major Havoc is also a game which comprises a certain amount of destruction and allows Fitch an outlet through which he can manage some of his aggressive tendencies. We Dream of Space begins and ends with Fitch in the arcade, in the opening scene regretting that he has tried a game other than Major Havoc, and in the closing scene turning away from Major Havoc to seek out Marshall and teach him to play video games. His choice to engage with another person at the end of the book symbolizes Fitch’s growth.