Game Changer

Throughout the story, Ash’s identity changes both literally as he travels to other universes and symbolically as he gains emotional maturity. By shifting his perspective, Ash is able to learn about lived realities outside his own and grow into a more empathetic, active ally to marginalized groups.

At the beginning, Ash embodies the typical stereotype of the popular high school football player: He is white, heterosexual, and able-bodied. As a result of his privilege, his best friend, Leo, who is Black, describes Ash as “a horse with blinders [who] never [sees] anyone’s point of view but [his] own” (59). Ash implicitly supports people with marginalized identities, but his lack of active involvement contributes to the status quo, which is evidenced by his memories of minimizing Leo’s experience with systemic racism.

Throughout the novel, Ash’s literal shifts in perspective help him confront his ignorance and challenge his own identity. When he first finds himself in a seemingly better world despite some minor drawbacks, Ash states: “It’s amazing how a simple shift in one’s point of view can make things better. I can live with this, I told myself.