The novel is grounded in the vocabulary of chemistry, with each chapter referring to a chemical principal. In chemistry, a catalyst is an agent of change. Introduced into a chemical reaction, the catalyst compels or speeds up the reaction without being impacted by the interaction. Catalysts propel chemical reactions that produce a variety of everyday products, from yogurt to paper to biofuels. The novel uses the idea of a catalyst to represent Kate’s transformation from childhood to adulthood

The first catalyst for Kate’s transformation is her rejection from MIT. Had MIT accepted her, Kate might never have learned that life does not always conform to expectations. As a catalyst, MIT itself remains unchanged, as Kate’s desperate phone call demonstrates. As the epigraph to Part 2 states: “The catalyst is not used up, but provides a new, lower energy path for the reaction” (65).

Like a catalyzed chemical, Kate changes dramatically and quickly. The rejection creates anxiety; she can see her vulnerability now. She sees how acceptance would have validated her life plan, her commitment to grades and athletic competition. MIT is the perfect vehicle for Kate’s change as an institution of science; it embodies the logic and mathematical certainty with which Kate viewed life.