Whatshisface

Content Warning: This source text depicts bullying and insensitive remarks about mental health.

“And his name isn’t Whatshisface! It’s […] Sorry, I guess I never knew your name.”

Korman uses dialogue to highlight Jolie’s thoughtful and conscientious characterization. While the other kids call Cooper Whatshisface, Jolie asks about his name, creating a juxtaposition between her and them. It also spotlights how dehumanizing and isolating it is when others deny someone the opportunity to live as a three-dimensional individual with a full identity.

‘‘‘Number? Who speaketh thus?’ ‘I speaketh thus! How did you get this number?’’’

With dialogue, Korman Links the Past to the Present. Roddy’s diction—’speaketh thus’—infects Cooper diction, and he repeats Roddy’s words, creating a humorous moment. This initial interaction also foreshadows the rest of Roddy and Cooper’s feisty friendship.

“Oh, I am fortune’s fool. Trapped and alone in this ether, surrounded by the blackest night, my only window the occasional glimpse of thee.”

Roddy’s diction foreshadows his relationship to Romeo and Juliet—“fortune’s fool” is a line from this play. His hyperbolic diction provides an abysmal image of life inside a smartphone. It also prompts Cooper to empathize with Roddy’s situation, which leads him to find ways to temporarily release Roddy from the phone.