Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone

The novel’s subplot of extraterrestrial intelligence and unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) functions as an allegory for how people engage with the unfamiliar and the unknown. In an interview, the author Tae Keller explains that she chose to include the topic of aliens in the novel to symbolize themes of “uncertainty, belief, hope, and what we consider strange, weird, or ‘alien’” (Bullard, Lisa. “Tae Keller on Bridging the Gap Between.” Mackin Community, 25 Oct. 2021). Characters who are open minded, like Jennifer and her father, are not only willing to accept the possibility of extraterrestrial life, but are also excited to welcome and accept aliens, which shows that they are open to the different and unfamiliar. Others like Raegan and Tess mock Jennifer’s beliefs, revealing their closedmindedness.

Jennifer’s passion for extraterrestrial life also reflects her desire for optimistic possibilities and a comfort from loneliness. Ingrid observes that Jennifer’s notes about alien abductions are not as sensationalist as they first appear. In one transcription of a woman’s experience of being suspended in the air by light, Jennifer records, “I could see the whole world, my whole life, and I wasn’t alone’” (145). When Ingrid reads the entries, she comments, “That doesn’t sound much like an abduction” (145).