The Schwa Was Here

Thin, wispy-haired Calvin Schwa is the epitome of unnoticeable. Antsy describes him as “just, like average. Like if you looked up ‘kid’ in the dictionary, his face would be there” (6). No one—except Lexie—calls the Schwa by his first name, which reinforces his feelings that he is invisible, or merely an object. He is only known as “the weird kid everyone calls the Schwa” (13). Rumors about the Schwa abound: his eyes “change color to match the sky,” and if you gaze at him long enough you can see through him (9). Antsy is one of the few people to notice the Schwa, and even he sometimes has trouble thinking about his friend who has “a face like mental Teflon” (17). The Schwa is a lot like his phonetical namesake: appearing everywhere but largely unrecognized.

Because his mom vanished when he was five, the Schwa believes that when people stop noticing him, he will also vanish. The Schwa feels guilty for his mom’s disappearance. The Schwa’s home life is also challenging: He cares for his absentminded father, who often forgets about him. Feeling invisible, the Schwa stays on the outside of social circles, blending in and not making waves. Being friends with Antsy and Lexie helps the Schwa become more visible. Learning the truth about his mother allows the Schwa to confront the emotional trauma of his abandonment and lets him acknowledge his self-worth and individuality.

“A certifiable loony tune” who lives alone with his 14 Afghan hounds above his expensive restaurant, Charles J. Crowley is legendary in Antsy’s neighborhood (1). Antsy describes Mr. Crawley, saying, “He was old, he was rich, he was cranky, and although no one ever saw or actually spoke to him, he made it very clear he was not to be messed with” (38). Antsy and the Schwa do mess with Mr. Crawley, however, and their prank changes everyone’s lives forever. Mr. Crawley has a firm jaw and gray hair and is stronger-looking for an elderly man than Antsy thought he would be, but he is confined to a wheelchair because he fell and broke a hip. Mr. Crawley’s infirmity does not stop him from making cuttingly sarcastic remarks or imperiously ordering people around. Antsy compares “Chuckles”—as he impudently calls Mr. Crawley—to the Grinch, and to the Emperor in Star Wars. Mr. Crawley, like these characters, is grumpy and ill-tempered yet an expert in “underhanded manipulation” (213). Mr. Crawley’s life philosophy is bleak: People and pets are replaceable, and the universe is harsh and unforgiving. While Antsy does not agree with Mr. Crawley’s grim assessment of life, he does develop a soft spot for the cantankerous old man.

Antsy sees a gentler side to Mr. Crawley. He learns that the old man is afraid of losing his identity and fading away in an assisted living community. He sees that Crawley truly loves his dogs. He also sees that Lexie, to an extent, is right about her grandfather: Mr. Crawley has been afraid to live and to engage in the outside world. Antsy and Lexie help Mr. Crawley, like the Schwa, become more visible and reengage in life.

Lexie has been blind since the age of three, when a fall damaged her visual cortex. Lexie, however, was young enough to adapt quickly. She explains that “Some people are good at being blind, others aren’t…I’m very good” (100). Lexie attends the Academy of the Blind, where she leads the Four-S club, which puts pressure on businesses to provide accommodations to those with visual impairments.

Antsy notices that Lexie shares some of the same traits as her grandfather, Mr. Crawley, like his stubbornness and tendency to pull others’ strings. Antsy does not mind being Lexie’s “yo-yo” until he realizes that Lexie wants to date both him and the Schwa, and that Lexie is not totally honest with them. Lexie admits that she is inexperienced with dating; the boys at her school are more “sheltered” and put off by her outgoing personality and confidence.

Lexie, though physically blind, can “see” the Schwa and acknowledge him as an individual. Antsy observes how Lexie also sees things that he does not, like picking out the individual instruments in the salsa band. At the same time, Antsy notices that despite her confidence in her insight, Lexie is figuratively blind to people’s emotions. Lexie’s blindness, like the Schwa’s invisibility, informs the novel’s theme of Being “Seen” and the Perceptions of Others.

Mom is a quintessential Italian mother. She dispenses punishment for disrespect and cussing—a foul “mout” as she calls it in her Brooklynese accent. Mom rules the kitchen and is passionate about cooking—and about everything. She yells, squabbles with her husband, and gestures energetically when she talks. Mom has a soft, side however, and shows her love for Antsy when she reassures him that she will not get a divorce. Mom reveals that she, like Antsy, has disappeared in the family, becoming solely its cook and homemaker. She takes strides to reinvent herself through her new cooking class.

Dad is the “Vice-Executive Vice-Vice-President of Product Development for Pisher Plastic Products” (1-2). Although he has worked there for nine years, his passion is cooking—when he’s allowed in the kitchen. Dad and Mom fight frequently, and Antsy knows that Dad is a little clueless when it comes to knowing what upsets Mom or to reading people’s tones of voice. Although he has trouble having a one-on-one conversation over dinner with Antsy, he is still sensitive to Antsy’s feelings and advises Antsy that following his good intentions regarding truth and the Schwa was correct. Dad also reinvents himself, partnering with Mr. Crawley in his new restaurant.

Both parents acknowledge that Antsy—now Anthony—is growing up. They treat Antsy with more respect after he shakes the family up by telling the truth, allowing Mom and Dad to address their real issues.