Catalyst: Temperature and Kate

In the novel Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson, there are three main sections, Solid, Liquid, and Gas. The main character, Kate, is very interested in science and the three titles are a metaphor for her state of mind throughout the book. The first section, Solid, shows how Kate is a stable and strong person. The next section, Liquid, is a time where Kate’s life is very inconsistent and she is unsure about herself. The last section, Gas, shows how Kate has accepted her fate and tries to help everyone she can.
A solid is hard, strong, and stable in shape. A person who is solid can be described as having stable surroundings, confident in their life and decisions, and defensive against attacks. One of the many strengths of being a solid is happiness. People who are confident and have a stable life are happier than those who do not. If you’re a solid you are confident in your decisions, which is a great strength; you will make decisions easier and faster than someone who’s questioning themselves. While being confident is a strength of being a solid it is also a great weakness. A confident person will not second guess their decisions; they believe that their decision is the best when it could be the worst. While a stable life will cause happiness however it can also be disastrous if that person encounters a period of instability; they may not know how to react and could shut down. The first section of Catalyst, Solid (pages 1-64), shows a period of stability in Kate’s life. She is confident and nothing and no one can stop her. The introduction of the book shows us Kate practicing running. Kate has been on her schools track team throughout high school. On the first page as Kate is running through the darkness of night she says to herself” A ghost hovers off my left shoulder. I can almost hear her breathe... She doesn’t scare me; I know I’ll win. Right from the introduction of the book Kate is shown to be a solid. She is confident with her running abilities and she