Theme and supporting details of "Whale Talk"

THEME: In the end, the hardships in life are what truly bring us together. Page3; Para.2- "Very few people come out and say they don't like you because you aren't white; when you're younger it comes at a birthday party you learn about after the fact, or later, having a girl say yes to a date only to come back after discussing it with her parents, having suddenly remembered she had another engagement that …

…misfits and in the end, their differences brought them together. Page193; Para.6- "...Heidi comes through the kitchen door, one hand dripping in soapsuds, the other dripping blood. Mom rushes to her." - Heidi will do anything to fit in, including hurting herself. She wants to be white so that her step-dad won't discriminate against her. T.J. can relate to her and help her deal with her problem because he too once suffered discrimination.