Heartstopper: Volume Two

Phones are symbolic of communication, but how characters use them to speak with others emphasizes different aspects of who they are. The way that Nick and Charlie text and Oseman’s use of emojis in the illustrations symbolize the unique forms of communication between the two main characters. For Nick, the volume begins with him at home, staring at a text explaining his behavior. He ends up deleting it, feeling uncomfortable and ashamed of himself, and this represents his difficulty articulating his emotions. He visits Charlie’s house and claims he wanted to speak to him in person, which alludes to the limitations of texting as a form of dialogue. When Charlie and Nick must keep their relationship a secret, they’re often limited to flirting through text while in public. Nick later refers to this and their other means of privacy as “creep[ing] around,” showing how its restrictions have stifled him.

Oseman also occasionally uses emojis, a key motif in the text, to display the feelings or thoughts of her characters. This form of characterization has the same limitations as texting, as an emoji doesn’t offer an in-depth description of the circumstances; however, it acts as a shorthand to communicate something, in this case, to a reader. Additionally, the story is meant to represent and appeal to a youthful demographic, so the inclusion of more conversational narration, texts, and emojis within the illustrations reinforces the tone of the story.