What If It's Us

“I believe in love at first sight. Fate, the universe, all of it. But not how you’re thinking. I don’t mean it in the our souls were split and you’re my other half forever and ever sort of way. I just think you’re meant to meet some people. I think the universe nudges them into your path.”

Arthur is an optimist, believing from the start that the universe is pushing him and Ben together. Though he is challenged by this (and must learn to actively play a role in maintaining their relationship), he returns to this optimistic understanding. At the outset, the theme of The Role the Universe Plays in Our Lives is established.

 “Maybe the whole reason you’re here is because the universe wanted you to meet me, so I could tell you to throw the box away.”

This moment in the post office sets up the belief between Arthur and Ben that the universe brought them together. From that moment, they feel linked, and as the novel progresses, they will come to question and affirm what role they believe the universe is playing in their lives.

“It hits me deep in my chest. It’s that New York feeling, like they talk about in musicals—that wide-open, top-volume, Technicolor joy. Here I’ve spent the whole summer moping around and missing Georgia, but it’s like someone just flipped a light switch inside of me.”

This is the moment when Arthur truly falls in love with New York and its possibilities. He is constantly amazed by what it offers, and while at first he was displeased at being away from his friends for the summer, the flash mob in this scene illustrates how he is able to find The Magic of New York City.