Clues to the Universe

Benji is one of two protagonists in the story. He is 12 years old and beginning middle school when the story opens. Benji is an artist and especially likes to draw comic-style illustrations. He spends most of his class time doing this rather than paying attention, and his mom often worries about his grades. Benji is a huge fan of comic books, especially Spacebound, of which his long-lost father is the author. Benji feels like he lives in his brother’s shadow and has to try harder to succeed at anything. He feels like a background character in the comic book of his own life. He struggles to speak up against bullies, and although he is on a mission to find out where his father is, he is also terrified of actually meeting him. 

When Benji meets Ro, his life begins to change; he starts to open up, find his confidence, discover purpose, and make real positive changes in his behavior. Over the course of the year, Ro observes drastic changes in Benji, noting, “If someone had asked me at the beginning of the year what the odds were of Benji practically begging to go to the science fair, I would have laughed and said zero without a moment’s hesitation” (238). Because of Friendship and Its Power to Inspire, Benji discovers that he loves science and can confront his fears. Ro sees in Benji a talkative, goofy, energetic, and creative person and helps him bring all of that out.

Benji has a strong imagination and an inclination toward the more philosophical side of life. On the bus to meet his father, he thinks about the history of navigation and how his own course has led him to this moment: “Here was the entire world, recorded in tiny centimeters and millimeters, and I knew exactly where my dad would be” (196). Benji finds the courage to go meet his father and listen to his father’s explanation of why he left. He initially acts on impulse and emotion on the red carpet, but as he talks to his father in the diner, Benji reacts with maturity and grace. After this experience, Benji has more confidence in himself and a more reasonable level of hope for the future. Similarly, Benji’s view of the rocket project was that it was just a science fair experiment at first, but he eventually comes to see the purpose and importance of the rocket for Ro. Benji recognizes how Ro helped him grow and change, and he hints toward this in his first letter to her, writing, “Because I would have never accidentally-on-purpose found my dad if it weren’t for you. Or built a giant rocket” (290). Benji realizes over the course of the story that he was always capable of succeeding in his endeavors, but he also acknowledges that his friendship with Ro was crucial in reaching this realization.

Mr. Voltz is a dynamic secondary character who initially appears to be unfriendly and unapproachable to both Benji and Ro. However, the more they get to know him, the more they find out how kind and intelligent he is. Mr. Voltz is Ro’s neighbor, and he also runs the general store where Danny works and Benji sometimes comes to read comics. He used to serve in the army and still has leftover anxiety from those experiences. His wife died of cancer somewhat recently, and he is still grieving that loss. He and Ro relate over this subject, and Ro can tell that Mr. Voltz understands more than he lets on, as she thinks, “He knew that a tiny part of me, buried deep down, had yearned for Benji to find his dad because I wanted mine back” (205). Mr. Voltz also doesn’t judge strange ideas, which both Ro and Benji appreciate because they are both unique people who don’t see the world the way others do. Mr. Voltz helps Ro with her rocket and even drives Ro to LA to find Benji. He turns out to be an important friend and supporting character in the story.

Ro’s mom is a secondary character who pops in and out of the story to support Ro and to act as a contrast with Benji’s mother. Ro’s mom brings the Chinese side of Ro’s heritage, which is part of the reason Ro feels like an outsider at school. Ro’s mom is bright and bubbly most of the time, even though her husband died several months ago. She tries to stay strong for her daughter, but Ro knows she gets upset in private. Ro and her mom occasionally talk about Ro’s dad and how much they miss him and support one another in Finding Meaning in the Face of Loss. Ro’s mom hosts a Chinese New Year party and openly welcomes Benji; she then encourages Ro to keep Benji as a friend and believes they have something solid. Ro’s mom also trusts and believes in her daughter, which is why she agrees to come with her to LA to search for Benji. In the story’s conclusion, Ro’s mom decides to move herself and Ro to San Francisco to be closer to extended family.

Benji’s mom is a secondary character whose primary role in the story is one of protection, but she also holds Benji back from something he desperately wants. Benji observes how Ro’s mother is always cheerful and affectionate, while his own mother always seems to be stressed, serious, and sullen. She is worried about Benji’s grades, and Benji doesn’t feel comfortable showing her his art because she doesn’t see it as a priority. Benji’s mom also associates illustrating with Benji’s father, who she still hasn’t forgiven for leaving. Benji’s mom cut off contact with Benji’s father after he left and shuts down whenever Benji brings up the subject of seeing him. When Benji does tell his mom about going to LA, she immediately rejects the idea, and several days of awkward silence follow. Despite her flaws, Benji’s mom is fiercely protective and works hard for her two children. When Benji finds clarity on this subject, realizing how much his mother does for him, he thinks, “Why had I ever thought my dad would be the superhero? Mom had been standing in front of me all along, holding our world up on her shoulders” (260). She undergoes character development by the story’s end, as she eventually encourages Benji to bond with his father despite the discomfort it brings her.

Danny is a secondary character and Benji’s older brother. Benji thinks Danny has a perfect life because he has a great girlfriend, is a star baseball player, and works at the general store. Benji and Danny’s mother never seems to worry about Danny, at least from Benji’s perspective. When Benji thinks about his brother through the lens of comic books, he writes,

If my life were a comic book, my brother would probably be the hero. I could even see it. His helmet would be bright red. I could picture the detail of his baseball jersey and the sheen of sweat carefully sketched in and the pencil catching his laser focus while he struck out another player (88-89).

Danny is preoccupied with his own life most of the time, but he does sometimes come around to talk to Benji and offer his opinions. He tells Benji that he shouldn’t bother contacting their father and admits he spent a long time grieving that loss. He also admits to Benji that he sometimes fights with his girlfriend and that his mom worries about him, too. Benji had a misguided perception of his brother and only needed to be more observant and open to understand Danny’s true depth and feelings.

Benji’s dad is, for most of the novel, more of an idea than an actual character. It is not until the story’s climax that Benji’s dad comes into his life. Benji’s dad is an illustrator who became known for his popular comic series, Spacebound, a few years after leaving the family to pursue his dream. He later explains to Benji that Benji’s mom was resistant to the idea of him becoming an artist, and he made the difficult decision to leave. Benji’s dad admits that he handled the whole situation poorly and tries to make amends with Benji, who is still angry and hurt. Benji decides to give a relationship with his dad a chance largely because of Ro, whose father died. Benji knows that he has an opportunity that many others do not, and in this way, he creates meaning from Ro’s loss.