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Jose Andres Ramirez Cabezas

Ms. Mastromonaco

ENG2Dd

October 20, 2022

The Hero’s Journey: A Comparison of Adam in Teresa Toten’s The Unlikely Hero of Room
13b and My Life
One’s cognitive attributes that divert from the general population are not an excuse to

unhealthily cope with said attributes. In Teresa Toten’s The Unlikely Hero of Room 13b, Adam,

the protagonist, forces himself into conflict of character versus society, which causes him to

undergo a notable change in mindset. As individuals with prominent mental disorders, Adam and

I share tendencies that the typical person would find unusual or odd. These tendencies often

interfere with our everyday lives and make everyday tasks even more tedious than they would be

for someone with a neurotypical mindset. However, Adam and I do not share the same mentality

when it comes to embracing our outlying propensities. As one may expect, Adams' mindset

thrusts him into a plethora of unwanted conflicts that only worsen his mental health further as the

novel progresses. Despite Adam and I sharing similar dispositions, I have learned that bottling up

and suppressing my unique mindset is an unhealthy approach to living a sustainable lifestyle.

Adam and I share a similar mindset and analytical tendencies to a similar degree when

trying to fit in with the general population. Both of us follow a subconscious schedule to create a

sense of control and order in a chaotic environment, whether that be in school or at home. During

the novel's exposition, we are introduced to our protagonist and his many peculiar characteristics,
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some of which include counting a certain amount a certain number of times or recording his

many observations in lists. An instance of this occurring is during a one-on-one session with his

therapist:

Adam sighed, relenting, and handed Chuck a piece of paper that had been folded over so

many times it looked like a runner-up in a demented origami contest. The therapist began

the process of unfolding the paper and reading it while Adam paced inside himself. He

knew the list byheart. He had rewritten it several times in his head before committing

pencil to paper. It was not perfect. (Toten, 11)

This is one example of many in which Adam observes the human condition to be more accepted

by his peers and, society. Like myself, Adam observes and records topics that he is either

interested in or passionate about, that being Robyn in this case. Similarly, I also have a habit of

watching and making mental notes of anything that interests me, whether that be an interesting

cloud, obscure song lyric, or a classroom poster about quarks. This mindset of constantly

observing makes me feel detached from reality most of the time. As if I am playing a videogame

on the couch inside my head except the game is what I do every day. I can only describe it as the

world most mundane campaign solo player. Adam feels the same way given his constant

apathetic nature, general disregard for others, and inner monologues.

Despite all that I have said, this is where the similarities between the novels protagonist and I

end. Adam bottles up his emotions and mental differences to an unhealthy degree, whereas I

prefer to embrace my mental differences and insert them into my compositions. Much of the
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novel is filled with instances in which Adam foolishly thinks that suppressing his obsessive urges

is what is best for him, creating internal conflict after internal conflict. A moment in the novel

that reflects Adam’s insistence on hiding his unique worldview is when his therapist begins to

unfold the list previously mentioned that Adam made:

‘Can we review it together?’ asked Chuck.

‘No! Uh, I mean, no. We . . . Not this time, if that is okay. Okay?’ Adam’s heart was

racing. It went to the starting block as soon as Chuck said the word review. Of course, the

therapist would want to ‘review’ the List, discuss it, pick it apart. Hell, it freaked him out

that Chuck was even going to read it. (Toten, 10)

This inner commentary and panicky tone indicate that Adam is highly insecure about his

obsessive compulsions and concerns. This is an issue that many with mental disorders face daily,

especially in social environments. I can understand this mentality to an extent, but I have found

from personal experience that openly sharing your thoughts to someone with a contradicting

mindset allows for a much more interesting interaction, regardless of what one may think of you.

I much prefer to see interactions with others as brief exchanges of worldview, opinions and

occasionally wisdom. Additionally, implementing one's unique mindset into their compositions

and creations add fascinating layers of depth and originality that only I can make. I very much

like to interpret this as the essence of my artistic identity, as it is something that is mine and mine

only, regardless of if it is even seen by anyone.

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One’s cognitive attributes that divert from the general population are not an excuse to

unhealthily cope with said attributes. Adam and I are individuals who are often forced into social

spaces with often gregarious and talkative individuals. We prefer to keep to ourselves, keep

interactions brief, and speak only when spoken to. However, I firmly believe that the key

difference between us is through how we choose to express ourselves, despite our unique

mindsets. Restraining one's need to express themselves can only lead to more hardship. I, along

with many others have experienced that unfortunate process firsthand and are now wiser and

stronger because of it. Only by revealing our true selves, passions, and desires, can we gain a

higher sense of self awareness and ultimately make an active impact in our lives.