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After watching his parents and sister drown four months earlier, Rufus struggles with how to deal with and express his grief and is often motivated by sadness and anger. With Mateo’s gentle encouragement, Rufus processes his emotions and makes peace with his losses. In a triumphant moment of bravery, Rufus goes cliff-diving with Mateo and Lidia, showing that he has not only overcome his fear of water, but can also live with his grief instead of hiding from it. Rufus also demonstrates his growth in his ability to control his anger. The first scene of the novel shows him viciously beating Peck, and it’s unclear if he would have stopped if not for the call from Death-Cast. Later, when Peck confronts Rufus at Clint’s Graveyard, Rufus has the opportunity to kill Peck but chooses not to. It is the sight of Mateo looking at him with fear in his eyes, like he did earlier in the day, that makes Rufus decide to harmlessly unload the gun. After Mateo’s death, Rufus shows how he’s truly changed when he controls his anger and goes to see Mateo’s father for a quiet conversation instead of doing something wild or impulsive.
