History is All You Left Me

In the novel’s early chapters, the significance of Theo McIntire’s hoodie to Griffin Jennings is established through Griffin’s refusal to remove it in the “Today” chapters and his intimate memories attached to it in the “History” chapters. In Chapter 3, Griffin explains, “I’ve been wearing it for the past two days—more, exactly fifty hours” (18). Griffin continues wearing Theo’s hoodie daily as he struggles through his grief. For Griffin, the hoodie represents Theo, but on a broader scale, it represents Griffin’s attachment to Theo.

As Griffin navigates his grief and the Theo-shaped void in his life, he clings to Theo’s hoodie as a comfort object. He wears it throughout his time in New York with Jackson Wright. However, once they fly to California, Griffin begins to loosen his grip on the hoodie. In the bright California sun, Griffin explains, “I shield my eyes with your bunched up hoodie” (188), indicating he’s removed Theo’s hoodie from his body but still brought it with him to California. This subtle change shows how Griffin is beginning to lose his attachment to Theo as time goes on.

Griffin abandons Theo’s hoodie in his dresser once he’s back in New York.