72 pages • 2 hours read
History is All You Left Me
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Background
Authorial Context: Adam Silvera’s Ex-Boyfriend
The inspiration for the tangled web of Griffin Jennings, Theo McIntire, and Jackson Wright came to author Adam Silvera through his personal experiences with his first serious boyfriend. As Silvera details in his letter at the end of the novel, he lived through the same experience as Griffin, just without the death. When he and his first serious boyfriend became long-distance, Silvera broke up with him because he knew they couldn’t take the strain on their relationship. He always imagined they’d get back together until his ex-boyfriend moved on and started seeing someone else. Silvera felt a deep sense of brokenness without the possibility of getting his love back. One day, Silvera’s ex-boyfriend called to tell him that he and his new partner had almost drowned at the beach. Much like when Griffin witnessed Theo almost get hit by a car, Silvera was forced to confront the idea that the love of his life almost died. Silvera thought about what would happen if his ex-boyfriend died before he could confess his true feelings.
Eventually, Silvera became good friends with his ex and his ex’s new partner. He realized that they were a better fit for one another. Much like the alternate universes Griffin imagines where Theo is still alive, hanging out with him and Jackson, Silvera lives in a universe where he got to become friends with both his “Theo” and his “Jackson” at the same time. Many details from Silvera’s experience with his love triangle have worked their way into History Is All You Left Me, like Theo’s death from drowning at the beach and Griffin’s home in New York City.
Psychological Context: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a mental health condition that presents in about 1.2% of Americans. About 50% of people diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder experience serious levels of impairment, according to the Sheehan Disability Scale. People with obsessive-compulsive disorder may be susceptible to tics, superstitions, routines, counting, and compulsive behaviors related to any of the aforementioned. In the context of mental illness, obsessions are generally considered to be unwelcome, persistent, or recurring impulses or thoughts that a person cannot ignore or suppress. Compulsions are described as impulses to commit repetitive or ritualistic acts that, like obsessions, are difficult to suppress or ignore.
The presentation of Griffin’s obsessive-compulsive disorder focuses primarily on his obsession with even numbers and his compulsion to be on the left side of people. The degree to which Griffin’s obsessive-compulsive disorder impacts his life is influenced by Griffin’s mental state and his company as the book traces his mental arc through his grief over Theo. While the narration ensures that Griffin’s obsessive-compulsive disorder is never far from the reader’s mind, the novel takes a light touch to ensure Griffin’s disorder is treated with the respect it deserves and to not turn Griffin into a caricature of a person with OCD. The novel paints a realistic picture of the day-to-day challenges and mental blocks that come with brain patterns that refuse to be suppressed.
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By Adam Silvera
