Better Nate Than Ever

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2013

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-8

Chapters 9-14

Chapters 15-20

Chapters 21-31

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Symbols & Motifs

Food, Glorious Food

One of the most prominent recurring motifs in Better Nate Than Ever is food—which relates to the theme of Little Town Versus Big City. In general, Nate Foster likes sweets; Libby packs him a box of 24 chocolate donuts to take on his trip. However, Nate is dazzled by the variety of food that New York offers compared to the bland fare of his gray hometown. He is determined to buy a street pretzel and says, “Imagine: pretzels sold on the street! It’s as if anything is possible. Do they also sell hopes on the street? Do they sell hugs and dreams and height-boosting vitamins? Or hot dogs? I bet you they do” (4). Initially, Nate’s greatest aspiration is to visit what he considers to be the world’s biggest Applebee’s. However, Heidi is an experienced New Yorker who says that food from a chain restaurant doesn’t compare to local fare.

During the course of his adventure, Nate buys several helpings of one-dollar pizza as well as free chips and salsa while trying to recharge his phone. Then, after arriving at Aw Shucks where Heidi works, Freckles gives him a soft drink and a dish of free crackers. Later, Nate shares breakfast with Freckles at a local diner. In between all these meals is a steady stream of candy and snacks bought at local convenience stores. While Libby’s donuts have been consumed by this time, Nate still has a pocketful of candy to give to trick-or-treaters. During his audition, Nate notices the sheer amount of food that the casting crew consumes. His fixation isn’t based on hunger but the variety of food available in the metropolis. The novel’s cornucopia of food equates to unlimited possibilities. In a town where pretzels can be bought on the street, literally anything is possible.

Clothing Options

Nate’s need to change his wardrobe every few hours relates to the theme of Standing Out in Context. Initially, Nate is dressed like a typical small-town teenager. He intends to use this as his audition outfit for the role of Elliott, but this plan is quickly doused by an unexpected rainstorm. Nate scurries over to a discount clothing store and makes a bad fashion choice. Not knowing any better, he lets the salesman talk him into a garish outfit more suitable for a rap singer than the character of Elliott.

Nate looks painfully out of place at the audition studio, surrounded by other child actors who are dressed more appropriately. Though Nate doesn’t feel as self-conscious as he might in Jankburg, he still presents himself as an oddity. When Heidi sees his outfit, she marches him to the nearest Old Navy store to buy a new one. Unfortunately, this outfit (with its tight pants) prevents Nate from exhibiting his knee-walking skills. Later that afternoon, he scrambles to buy a cheap pair of loose shorts for his next callback. In each of these instances, Nate is painfully aware that he is standing out in the wrong way.

Yet another clothing change is required in the evening when the temperature drops, and Nate doesn’t have a warm enough coat. Finding a bin of donated winter clothing, he dons an oversized yellow parka with a fake fur-trimmed hood. As Nate’s confidence increases and his chances of winning a role increase, he sheds the coat. The final reference to clothing occurs when a rude trick-or-treater asks what Nate will be wearing for Halloween. Freckles and Sherrie both assert that he is SuperBoy. In other words, Nate has finally gotten an outfit that makes him stand out in a good way—as himself.

Broadway Musicals

References to Broadway musicals and show tunes pepper the novel as a recurring motif—relating to the theme of The Courage to Dream. From the novel’s earliest pages, Nate declares that he loves to sing. In fact, he defines singing as the backstory of his life. However, a boy who sings in traditional Jankburg is in for a rough time. Nate routinely goes into the woods to belt out a rendition of “The Impossible Dream.” The song from Man of La Mancha encapsulates his own dream of becoming an actor—but as might be expected, the neighbors don’t appreciate the performance. Nate’s mother tells him:

They thought a rabid beaver or something was in their yard, Nate, stuck in a bear trap. And it turns out Mr. Kruehler went to the lookout in their attic and saw you in their woods, wailing like an animal, with no regard for nature. And just prancing around like—you know. (Like a fairy, right, Mom?) (25).

Nate’s tendency to break into song antagonizes not only his neighbors but the local bullies, who feel the need to punish him for it. In Jankburg, a boy who sings is suspected of being gay—again, a trait to be punished by the small-minded. Despite the misery inflicted on him, Nate continues to sing and find inspiration in Broadway shows.

Nate and Libby stage private shows of their favorite plays. This is how Nate learned his knee-walking skill, having picked it up for a performance of Fiddler on the Roof. Many of the pair’s phone conversations allude to various shows. These references are a form of shorthand to communicate different emotions, from one friend to another; no one else in Jankburg would understand this coded language. Nate’s refusal to give up his love of Broadway and singing is an act of courage that illustrates his determination to follow his dream.