James Coleman
Journals
1. “Today is going to be an amazing day and here’s why”(7).
Because of his struggles with social anxiety, Evan goes to see a therapist once a week. He is told to write letters to himself that start with this phrase. He is supposed to start the letter on an optimistic note by saying that today is going to be amazing day, and then explain why. The explanation is supposed to help him relax and focus on how to make each day better than the last. Some days it works, and others it feels like a waste of time to him.
I wonder how much happier the world could be if everyone chose to start their day like this and use the reasons to actually make each day great. People seem to be inherently pessimistic by my observation, which makes sense because there are many difficult things occuring in the world. But, I am an inherently optimistic person and therefore appreciate this approach.
2. “Positive outlook yields positive experience”(7).
This is a quote from Evan’s therapist. He is reminding Evan that each day can only be as good as his outlook. If he chooses to look at the day in a positive light then there is every chance that it will be a better day. Outlook yields experience. Attitude is everything. At the beginning of the novel, Evan is sick of the therapist and his letters. But, as the plot unfolds, he realizes the truth in what the man had said and chooses to actually try to make each day better, which yields a positive experience at the end of the story.
I think that there are so many people who need to hear this philosophy. The world is so negative and everyone always seems to be looking for the worst in every situation. This comes down to a lack of self-confidence and self-love I think because people are of the opinion that “I am not great so why should my day be great”. These ideas can only change with time, but something that can change within a day is how you approach every minute you are awake. If you choose to make the best out of everything, then it will yield a positive experience.
3. “Because today all you have to do is just be yourself. But also confident. That’s important. And interesting. Easy to talk to. Approachable. And don’t hide, either. Reveal yourself to others. Not in a pervy way, don’t disrobe. Just be you -- the true you. Be yourself. Be true to yourself”(8).
This sentence details Evan’s thoughts as he is writing the first few sentences of his letter. He starts off optimistic and then his thoughts derail and leave him more anxious than before the letter began, the complete opposite of what it was supposed to do. He ends up being anxious about being socially anxious.
This quote details the thoughts inside many people's minds. I think every day each person worries about the interactions they will have, maybe not to Evan’s level, but the bit of anxiety is present. These thoughts run through their heads as they remind themselves to be real, and confident, and interesting, and approachable, and… it is completely exhausting.
4. “The true me. What does that even mean”(8)?
In the beginning of the novel, Evan has no idea of who he is. He is not confident enough to be proud of his achievements or to develop his character, and he hides behind closed doors and his own quiet personality to ensure that he does not have to interact much. He strives to not be noticed. So at that point in the novel, maybe that is the true him. But as he asks this question, the readers can tell that he knows he has more to offer. This quote is a foreshadow of the change that will occur in Evan throughout the rest of the story.
When I read this quote it led me to ponder the same question and to think back on what events led me to where I am now. I think that I will be always be changing because I will be experiencing new things, but the true me will uphold the same morals and beliefs that I have now for the rest of my life. It is events that shape character and for me, moving around as I was growing up taught me to be more outgoing, optimistic, and patient. Characteristics that I still embody today.
5. “It’s the stuff I can’t predict that concerns me”(11).
The things that Evan cannot predict happening in a school day are what he is worried about. He does not handle new or large social interactions well and is always afraid that he will make a fool of himself. I think that the authors really use Evan to connect to many modern teens. There are a large number of people who struggle with social interactions and it is the ones they cannot predict that worry them. They can prepare for those that they know are coming, but the impromptu ones and the true problem.
It is human nature to struggle with relinquishing control. People like to know exactly what will happen and how to prepare for it. Even “spontaneous” people want to know when and where they are going to be spontaneous. It is a force of habit. So, in each day, the many events that people were unable to predict are what worry them. They are afraid that these will catch them by surprise and that they will not be able to show the character that they wanted. It is all about image. How people look in front of other people.
6. “Seize the day. Today is the day to seize the day”(14).
This is something that Evan’s mom tells him on the first day of his senior year of high school. She tells this to go seize the day because this is his last year and she wants him to go make friends. She tells him to ask people to sign his cast or do something just so that he will have to interact with people. Evan’s mom is a huge fan of inspirational quotes like this and also uses horoscopes to predict how his day will go. Whether or not it works, she is very encouraging.
Newsies!! “Now is the time to seize the day”. As soon as I read this quote I thought of Newsies and of the Dead Poets Society…”Carpe Diem”. There are many movies, musicals, novels, and quotes that remind their audiences to make the most out of each day. They are trying to convey the importance that each day has because people are generally very pessimistic about how their day is going. I think that the creators are also encouraging people to get out there and try something new because you only live once and should strive to get the most out of life.
7. “That’s what happens with legends. The facts get pushed aside and replaced with something more dramatic”(81).
At this point in the novel, Evan is reminiscing an event that happened at his school years before and the author uses the flashback to explain to the reader that this is how rumors get started. Evan explains that legends are elevated to almost a god-like status and all of their flaws are forgotten. They are remembered for all of the good attributes, and their story becomes a legend.
I can see this being how many of the old greek and roman myths began. They were probably originally stories about normal people who then died and were elevated to legend status by the telling and re-telling of their heroic exploits. People like a dramatic story and any sort of legend that we have today is the direct result of ages of exaggeration. No one wants to hear the facts about the person, they just want the interesting details.
8. “I laugh plenty. I mean I laughed plenty. I laughed at how absurdly fucked everything is. I laughed because there’s not much else you can do. You can laugh or you can cry. I’d do plenty of both”(136).
This is a direct quote from Connor, the boy who committed suicide in the beginning of the novel. Throughout the story, the point of view switches from Evan to Connor every couple chapters in order to explain both sides to the story. After Connor dies, he observes the situation as a ghost would, and provides his input on what is happening in the moment. He reminds the readers that they have a choice to either laugh or cry and that their choice will define how they go about their lives.
This quote from Connor reminds the readers that they have the choice to laugh or cry each day and that their choice will define how each day goes. He reminds them that there is always something to laugh at, even if it is at the messed up parts of the world. There is a choice, and that choice has to be made daily. Connor also tells the readers that it is okay to do both, but that more laughing then crying is healthy.
9. “I suppose this is what I get for building my walls so high. My family never actually knew about my life”(137).
This again is a quote from Connor. He explains after he dies that he built his walls so high that his family did not really ever know anything about him. He shut people out because it was easier and less emotionally draining. He really only connected to one person, Miguel, and then that one person abandoned him to. He felt like no one understood him and therefore built high emotional walls so that he could never be hurt by other people, including his family, again.
This reflection from Connor, and the sadness in his tone as he explains the situation, is meant to encourage the readers to not do the same thing he did. There is a regret that he had that he was unable to do anything about before he passed away. Those walls hurt his family because they felt like they did not even know their own son. The novel definitely uses this story to encourage the readers to let people in and not build walls around their lives. Relationships are important and especially the people close to them deserve to be privy to their lives.
10. “‘Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing’”(138).
Connor quotes this from Shakespeare and says that it represents him. He is full of noise and anger but it truly means nothing. He puts on a facade and shows people a tough side of him that is not his true self. Truly, he cares more deeply for people then he lets on. The fact that he even knows Shakespeare proves that there is more thought and emotion underneath the rock hard exterior.
Every person puts on a mask for the world to see. Letting people see their real character is terrifying and emotionally draining because people are always assuming that others will judge them. It is terrifying to let people know who you really are and so many people are just like Connor, “full of sound and fury, signifying nothing”(138).
11. “I just wish that life, for once, would go smoothly. I can never just sit back and sail. People like Rox can put their feet up and let the water carry them along. Not me. I’m constantly on the verge of sinking”(168).
At this point in the novel, Evan is bemoaning the fact that he never can seem to ride out the waves of life. He feels slighted by the fact that some people can just be carried along and yet others like him and always about to sink. The anxiety that he deals with makes him always feel like life is out to get him and that the waves are constantly trying to pull him under.
There are definitely people like Rox in all phases of life. Those who can just ride out the storms, and then there are those like Evan who feel as if they are constantly drowning. I think that drowning can be a choice in this case. There are always good things to be found in situations and social anxiety or not, sometimes life will not get better until you can ride out the waves.
12. “Life is an interview, Evan”(182).
Alana Beck tell Evan that life is an interview and reminds him to always put his best foot forward. He describes her as looking like the dean of a private liberal arts college, and says that she could run the world. She is one of those people who is always talking, likes to be in charge, and knows how to take control. She tells Evan to always look nice and always be on his best behavior because there is always someone watching, in a good way.
For Evan, the idea of an interview is terrifying. His issues with social interactions make one on one conversations the makings of his nightmares. He is constantly afraid that people will judge him and not understand who he truly is. This is a very good life motto because if you live life like it is an interview, you will always be on your best behavior and will constantly be trying to put your best foot forward.
13. “That’s what happens when people leave, I think. When they’re gone, you don’t have to be reminded of all the bad things. They can just stay the way you want them forever. Perfect”(190).
When Connor dies, his family and classmates remember all of the good things about him and skim over any negative qualities that he might have had. People want to remember the deceased in the best light because it is respectable. They can stay just the way that everyone thought they were or wanted them to be, perfect. So, even though few students knew Connor, they all of a sudden could remember small interactions that they had with him and brought them to life. In addition, his family knew he was involved with drugs and alcohol, but they chose to forget those facts and remember him in a positive light.
This quote is definitely an accurate representation of how people treat the deceased. They want to remember their loved ones in the best light possible and choose to forget any negative qualities that he or she might have had. The deceased are supposed to be respected and this way they can seem to be perfect forever. There is a certain demeanor that one should have at a funeral. There are always positive stories being told, and no one ever brings up any negative ones.
14.”That’s the gift he gave me...to show me that I wasn’t alone. To show me that I matter [...] That everybody does. That’s the gift he gave all of us”(196).
At the end of the novel, Evan is reminiscing about what Connor and the whole situation taught him. The Connor Project and the amount of people whose lives it touched had a real effect even if it was all based on a lie. This quote comes from Evan’s speech to his high school, but I think that the author purposely uses it to remind his readers their worth. He reminds them that they are not alone.
The true message of Dear Evan Hansen is that you are not alone and you are important. The musical and novel both used the plot surrounding Evan Hansen to preach a message about self worth that the world needed to hear. It became so popular because people agreed that the issue needed to be discussed and they appreciated the honesty with which it was addressed.
15. “We march on together. Climbing, falling, soaring. Trying to get closer to the center of everything. Closer to ourselves. Closer to each other. Closer to something true”(358).
As the novel concludes, Evan says this quote and reminds his readers that life goes up and down, there are good days and bad, but that each day moves us closer to something. In his case, Evan learned so much about himself throughout the novel and is closer each day to something true. He reminds the readers that relationships are important and that people should be close to each other in order to enjoy life to the fullest.
Each day is a step closer to something true. For each different person, this can mean some different. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs and the ups and downs of life are what mold them and prepare them for the next phase. Evan’s reminder that relationships are important is something that people need to recognize. Too many people shut themselves off from the world and each other and therefore do not experience life to the fullest.