In The Schwa Was Here, Neal Shusterman shows how one’s sense of self is influenced by many different factors, from social and cultural elements such as language, ethnicity, place, and religion, to positive and negative self-assessments that affect one’s life choices. Over the course of the novel, Antsy, the Schwa, Antsy’s parents, and Mr. Crawley each gain self-knowledge and awareness that allows them to lead fuller lives, take chances, and be more comfortable in their skin.

At the start of the novel, Antsy defines himself by his Italian heritage (including its food), Brooklyn roots, dialect, family status, social class, bad grades, and Catholic upbringing. All these characteristics ground Antsy’s social identity. He recognizes and embraces each of these elements with varying degrees of pride and self-deprecating humor. Antsy originally declares that he is nothing special, especially in his neighborhood, “just your run-of-the-mill eighth-grade wiseass, which might get me somewhere in, like, Iowa, but Brooklyn is wiseass central” (26). For all his all his smart-mouthed comments, however, Antsy is deeply introspective. He knows who he is, and, as the novel progresses, recognizes changes in himself and his values. Antsy begins to come of age.