Themes In Justin A. Reynolds's Opposite Of Always

eading this novel, Justin A. Reynolds is portraying the idea that we only have so much time and you have to use it wisely. There never seems to be enough time to accomplish the things we want to, or change the things we want to. In the book, “Opposite of Always”, there are plenty of themes to pick up on such as: forgiveness, protection, thinking you’re too late, and making mistakes. One theme I largely picked up on was coming of age. Growing up, we make lots of mistakes, and the transformation from teen to adult comes with loss. The hero’s journey as a situational archetype, as well as the character archetypes of the rebel and star-crossed lover, evolve the theme of lack of time in the novel. The novel, Opposite of Always written by Justin

Theme is an idea that is repeated or developed throughout a piece of work. Justin A. Reynolds uses The Opposite of Always to portray the idea of the importance or lack of time. Jack has the archetype of the rebel. Jack and Kate share the star-crossed lovers archetype. In the novel

Jack also goes through the hero’s journey as a situational archetype (Volger’s Hero’s Journey). Jack begins his journey the moment he meets

Kate. Because this is the point he returns to when he time travels. The first time it happened and he realized where he was, he knew that he had to make a change involving Kate. Jack thinks his purpose is to change the way things are, making him the rebel character archetype. He travels back once and decides he won’t try to get to know Kate at all, but still try to save her. Because he thinks that may change something. Then a different time he dates his best friend’s girlfriend, who also happens to be his best friend, Jillian. But that ends up not working because Franny,

Jack’s best friend, ends up getting shot. Jack and Kate are two characters whose love is fated to end tragically (Theory of Collective

This is what begins the hero’s journey (Volger’s Hero’s Journey). The moment

Jack realizes he’s exactly where he was months before, he’s crossed the threshold into the special world

Jack and Kate also follow the ‘star-crossed lovers’ archetype. “Because I believe our love is the only thing that’s for certain in these rewinds” (Reynolds 424). Jack is referring to meeting Kate for the last time. He knows he can’t waste any time but regardless of how he rebuilds their relationship, Kate’s life depends on him.

The ‘rebel’ character archetype describes how Jack tries to change his fate. Which in reality is impossible, but he’s also time traveling.

Jack does everything in his ability to save Kate, even though she was born with an incurable disease. “I toss a rock through the window”

(Reynolds 417). Jack risks his life for Kate, even though in this timeline she only knows him as the boy who brought flowers to her room. Once he arrives at the hospital he gets stopped by cops that he has to convince to let him go see Kate. they grant him only a few minutes and he sticks a syringe in her leg, what he thought may cure her only killed