“I’d love it, he said. He’d already decided, so there was no point asking me how I felt.”

One of The Challenges of Growing Up is seeking more individual autonomy. Ben faces a difficult stage where he wants more control over his life, but his father refuses to give him any. This quote also reflects Richard's frequent insensitivity when dealing with those around him. While the move may have been necessary for the family, Richard should have consulted them.

“And suddenly I was angry. It happened to me like that sometimes, a big solar flare of fury inside my head. Dad got his chips. That was typical. Dad always got what he wanted.”

Ben struggles to control his emotions throughout the story. He often internalizes his feelings until he can no longer contain them. In this instance, although Ben directs his anger at the vending machine that will not dispense his candy, he is furious at his father and his feelings of helplessness. This quote highlights the damaged relationship between Ben and his father and illustrates one of Ben's key character traits of impulsive angle when he is not given Communication and Understanding.

“So we need to raise Zan like a human, so he can learn language just like a human would. No cages. No labs. He’s one of us now. He has a crib and clothes and toys. And most important, he has a family. He has a mother and a father—and a big brother, too.”

This quote from Richard highlights the experimental approach of raising Zan, a chimpanzee, in a human family environment to teach him language. Richard's approach raises ethical questions about the boundaries between species and the potential psychological impacts on both Zan and the human family members. It emphasizes the novel's exploration of