All Adults Here

Elliot buys a building that is crucial to Clapham’s infrastructure. Located in the center of town, it can either contribute to Clapham culture or take away from it. Elliot has the opportunity to rent the building to Beauty Bar, a major corporation. Beauty Bar would bring in business and money, but it could also put Elliot’s mother’s girlfriend’s hair salon out of business. Not only that, but the introduction of a big business would change Clapham forever—for better or for worse.

For Elliot, the decision of what to do with the building symbolizes his internal conflict. Elliot struggles with self-perception and with his feelings about the life he has made for himself. He cares about what other people think of him, and he wants to be seen as a successful businessman. But Elliot also cares about Clapham and doesn’t want to ruin the town. Elliot is unhappy with his marriage and his life, but he resists any deviations from societal norms. These internal conflicts are exacerbated by Elliot’s resentment towards his mother, whom he aims to please even though he feels she doesn’t believe in him. Thus, the building is a symbol of Elliot’s conflict and of the crossroads he is at, both in terms of what he wants from life and within his relationship with his mother.

At the end of the book, Elliot finally has an open dialogue with his mother, who encourages him to make choices for himself rather than others—even for her. Though it is never specified what Elliot ultimately decides to do with the building, the fact that his conversation with Astrid ends on a note of tentative hope and reconciliation hints that Elliot is on his way to making a decision about which he can feel confident.

The Harvest Festival is an annual autumn event in Clapham. The entire town comes out to see the parade, which features, among other floats, floats carrying the junior and high school Harvest royal court. The festival is a source of pride for the town and represents their communal spirit, but it also contains personal meaning for individual characters.

For Porter, the Harvest Festival symbolizes the joys and possibilities of her youth, which she mourns in her adult life. The Harvest Festival also becomes a setting for revelation and victory when Robin comes out as transgender on the junior high school float. Her peers and her neighbors cheer for her, emphasizing the close-knit community of Clapham. Clapham celebrates originality and authenticity, and they extend that celebration to Robin during the Harvest Festival.

The word “harvest” implies abundance, a collecting of the food that farmers have toiled to grow. This implication extends to the Harvest Festival because it is the culmination of hard work, community efforts, and peace.