50 pages • 1 hour read
Kevin WilsonNow Is Not the Time to Panic
Kevin WilsonFiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2022A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
The Power of Secrets
Throughout the novel, secrets take many forms. They both unite and divide characters. This trope is introduced early on, when Frankie shares with Zeke that she is writing a Nancy Drew fan-fiction novel. She feels the novel is weird and strange and thus has kept its existence a secret. Telling Zeke about the novel and asking him to read it indicates the trust Frankie feels for him. Later, she shares the novel with her mother (who shares it with Hobart)—further evidence that Frankie not only trusts her mother but has gained confidence in her unique identity. The novel’s publication and success demonstrate that secrets are not always meant to be kept.
The novel’s most important secret is the poster itself. Zeke and Frankie agree that they must not reveal its authorship. Both are adamant that this secret must be kept forever, giving them control over their art but also affording them protection; they recognize that they might be ridiculed for its strangeness and thus regarded as societal outcasts. However, neither of them anticipates the ways in which the poster will take on a life of its own. As the poster gains notice and is regarded by some as evidence of a dark or satanic presence in Coalfield, Frankie and Zeke become increasingly certain that revealing their authorship would have negative repercussions. At times the secret is a source of stress and anxiety for both teens; at other times, Frankie feels a sense of power that no one knows of her role. The unknown authorship contributes to the poster’s mystique and causes others to develop their own version of it or attempt to claim authorship. Because they keep the secret, Zeke and Frankie are unable to discredit the claims that its meaning is dangerous or satanic. Thus, the secret itself is harmful, and keeping it arguably perpetuates the harm done to Coalfield and its citizens.
The stress of that summer rises anew when Mazzy Brower uncovers the truth, but it turns out that Frankie’s decision to make her authorship public ultimately brings her peace. That she agrees not to reveal Zeke’s role in the poster’s creation is, however, a way to maintain part of the secret, thus keeping her promise to Zeke that the secret will remain forever.
Similarly, Zeke’s mental illness and the challenges he faces as a result are, in a sense, kept secret from Frankie. Despite the jarring and upsetting nature of their breakup, he doesn’t reach out to reveal the explanation for the behaviors that in part led to it even after he is given a diagnosis. It isn’t until she tracks him down that this secret is revealed, and it allows adult Frankie to put their turbulent teenage relationship in perspective. As with the poster, the repression of this secret has been harmful, and its revelation is healthy and healing.
Art and the Role of the Artist
Though only 16, both Frankie and Zeke are passionate about art. This shared passion cements their friendship but also unites them as misfits who do not fit into the larger world.
Both are aware that the power in art lies in its originality and believe that the meaning of a specific work of art is difficult to define. It is Zeke who convinces Frankie that true art must be shared with the public, rather than kept private, for it to have any significance. It is the desire for their art to have meaning, then, that motivates them to display the poster. Similarly, Frankie convinces Zeke that, were they to create additional, different posters, the power of the original poster would be diluted. In this way—and in the way that “copycat” versions of the poster pop up—Wilson challenges the idea of originality and talent. It is an ironic detail that the teens use a “copy” machine to produce their art, though Frankie recognizes the importance of the original poster from which the copies are derived, keeping it safely hidden for most of her life.
The extent to which an artist can determine a piece’s meaning and control how a piece is received by an audience is woven throughout Zeke and Frankie’s experience. Their different stances on this create conflict between them. The novel indicates that this is the reason Zeke is unwilling to be associated with the poster’s creation once its authorship comes to light. As evidenced by his anonymous comic-book work as an adult, to him, the artist’s role is less important than the work itself, and putting the work out into the world—not fame or recognition—is the goal of making art. That Frankie and Zeke differ in their belief of the artist’s responsibility for how the art is received is also significant.
The acclaim afforded an artist is a key aspect of this theme. The narrative draws on the common understanding that an artist must earn public renown to be worthy of the title. This is evident when Frankie’s mother expresses her hope that Cydney Brown—Zeke’s mother, who studied music at Juilliard—became famous. She is disappointed to learn that this is not the case, though, ironically, she is largely oblivious of the accolades garnered by Randolph Avery, a former performance artist. In the end, both her novels and the poster are praised by important individuals in Frankie’s life, namely her mother, and this private acclaim is what gives Frankie the confidence to label herself as an artist.
Misfits and Social Norms
Frankie and Zeke are drawn to one another because of their shared weirdness. By this, they mean that neither enjoys the kinds of hobbies typical of teens their age. The passions they seek to pursue—drawing comic-book art for Zeke and writing subversive Nancy Drew fan fiction for Frankie—are activities they are certain would garner disapproval from their peers and family alike. Neither of them has any actual friends; Frankie recalls drifting apart from the friends she had in elementary and middle school, as she could not find any interest in sports, dating, or parties.
Their respective social-outcast status is more involved than mere teenage cliquishness, however. Frankie often dwells on “not feeling like she belongs” (67)—not only in Coalfield but in the world. She speaks of not being able to tell anyone that she feels different and confesses “I kept it inside of me, and that weirdness and sadness vibrated all the time” (24). At times, other characters—such as her mother and Hobart—attempt to reassure her that her misfit feelings are only a temporary condition of teenage-hood. Yet Frankie disagrees, certain she will never completely feel as though she belongs. Zeke is the first person who has ever understood—and even shared—her weirdness. The bond between them forms quickly, as a result, and lays the groundwork for the art they make together. It is the poster, ultimately, that helps Frankie to feel secure in who she is. She speaks of the world “opening up” to her (120) because of their creation. Art, then, becomes a way for Frankie to cope with her feelings of otherness and to navigate a world in which she does not quite fit and whose societal norms she is uninterested in changing to comply with.
Finally, Zeke’s mental illness arguably plays a role in his feeling different from other teens. During the summer he spends with Frankie, his disorder is undiagnosed, though signs of it are present: He speaks of engaging in unexplainable destructive behavior and a feeling of “losing [him]self” when he experiences stress (16). Importantly—just as Frankie’s mother does not discourage her weirdness—Zeke’s parents provide care and support so that Zeke can live a stable life. Because of his disorder, things that are commonplace for many adults—such as living alone and managing a home—are challenges for Zeke. Zeke accepts these limitations and finds fulfillment through his art despite them.
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