Rejection
Rejection is one of the novel's major themes. Zinkoff is friendly to everyone he meets, but he repeatedly encounters rejection. When he tries to make friends with his neighbor, Andrew, Zinkoff finds that he fails to meet whatever criteria Andrew has for him, and Andrew seeks to distance himself from Zinkoff. Zinkoff is also rejected by teachers such as Miss Meeks and Mrs. Biswell, who treat his eccentricities and awkwardness with suspicion. Like with Andrew, Zinkoff fails to meet these teachers' criteria for normalcy. Later, Zinkoff's rejection becomes school-wide, as more and more people isolate him on the playground and gossip about how he lost the race on Field Day. But because of his resilient spirit and the supportive people in his home life, Zinkoff can stomach these rejections. He doesn't take rejection personally and continues to treat other people kindly despite the cruelty he receives.
Judgment vs. Acceptance
Another prominent theme in Loser is the juxtaposition of judgment and acceptance. Because of the age of the children in school and because of the stress of their school environment, the kids are constantly competing with one another. This creates an environment of judgment, which even many of the teachers uphold, particularly Mrs. Biswell. By contrast, Zinkoff's parents and teachers such as Mr. Yalowitz cultivate an ethos of encouragement, inclusivity, and acceptance. Zinkoff's parents' and Mr. Yalowitz's approval carries a message of self-love that penetrates Zinkoff's difference and reminds him that he has unique qualities that ought to be celebrated not punished. Ultimately, the judgment of his peers is outweighed by the approval he receives from trustworthy authorities in his life.
Shame
Shame is one of the major themes in Loser. With every misstep and humiliating incident, Zinkoff encounters instances in which most people would feel ashamed of themselves. However, Zinkoff is rarely ashamed, often laughing along with the people who laugh at him as though the joke had not been at his expense. Even people who are supportive and encouraging, such as his parents, attempt to shame Zinkoff. When Zinkoff vomits in his father's mailbag, merely trying to contain the vomit as his mother instructed him to, Zinkoff's father cannot help but get angry with his son. Similarly, Miss Meeks, who has difficulty understanding Zinkoff's unique personality, tries to make him feel ashamed for laughing too often and disrupting class. However, the "I know I can behave" button she pins to his shirt has an inverse effect, leading Zinkoff to feel pride, not shame. Zinkoff remains impervious to shame until Field Day, when the other students call him "Loser" for losing the one-leg race. The shame stays with Zinkoff until the following year's Field Day, which he skips to avoid ruining things for his teammates. Zinkoff only shakes off his shame after he goes missing while searching for Claudia. The encouragement and warmth he receives from friends and family upon his safe return restore his sense of self-worth and Zinkoff is impervious to the shame Bonce and the other boys try to instill in him while picking teams at school.
Difference
Loser is an exploration of the ways in which difference is disciplined and punished. Through no fault of his own, Zinkoff repeatedly fails to conform to the social environment of his school. Although he is enthusiastic and hard-working, his athletic and academic performance are poor. He also has difficulty making a best friend, and makes only casual acquaintances. Because of his difference, which manifests in awkwardness and a lack of self-awareness, Zinkoff eventually becomes a social pariah, branded a loser by most people at school. His inability to conform is punished by the shame and exclusion others foist upon him. Even teachers, such as Mrs. Biswell, punish Zinkoff for his difference, never stopping to consider what special accommodations might help Zinkoff adapt to the learning environment. Ultimately, people like his parents and Mr. Yalowitz celebrate Zinkoff's uniqueness, offering a reprieve from the constant rejection he faces. By the end of the novel, Zinkoff's difference expresses itself in his selfless search for Claudia. While most people might worry about their own safety, Zinkoff puts himself aside in his determination to find the missing girl.
Neurodiversity
Loser is a novel that celebrates neurodiversity. Advocates for the concept of neurodiversity argue that not all brains are wired the same and that diverse neurological conditions result from variations in the human genome. As such, neurodivergent conditions (ADHD, autism, dyslexia, OCD, and Tourette Syndrome, among others) should not be thought of purely as disabilities or impairments. Rather, individuals should be given respect, understanding, and support that allows them to live in ways that suit their natural abilities. Zinkoff is never given any of these labels, but his learning difficulties and failure to conform to the norms around him suggest that he is a neurodivergent individual. Without an understanding of his condition or conditions, Zinkoff must go through school without accommodations that could facilitate his ability to thrive. While teachers like Mrs. Biswell judge Zinkoff's peculiarities as choices he is making purposefully to make her job more difficult, teachers such as Mr. Yalowitz seem to recognize Zinkoff's unique qualities and needs, inviting him to the front of the classroom and giving him regular encouragement. Ultimately, Loser celebrates neurodiversity because it does not simply show how children like Zinkoff struggle to conform to society. The book also shows how Zinkoff's unique qualities—kindness, selflessness, enthusiasm—can benefit society, such as when Zinkoff delivers his father's mail route or risks his own safety to find Claudia in the snow.
Self-Awareness
Self-awareness—particularly a lack of self-awareness—is another of the novel's dominant themes. Throughout the story, Zinkoff winds up in scenarios that would humiliate most people. He trips often due to his lack of coordination, he tries to score on his own net during soccer, he vomits uncontrollably several times a week, he is often wrong when trying to answer questions in class, he doesn't know how to write legibly, and he does not have any close friends at school. Despite these repeated gaffes, Zinkoff never seems to mind that people laugh at him. He is immune to the judgment of others because he lacks self-awareness, or at least the type of self-awareness that leads one to feel shame. It is only once Zinkoff gets older and understands himself as a social creature that he begins to develop self-consciousness around his lack of athletic ability. However, on the night Zinkoff goes looking for Claudia, his lack of self-awareness enables him to stay out searching for her well beyond what most people could endure. For seven hours, Zinkoff braves freezing rain and dropping temperatures, never thinking of his own safety as he searches for the missing girl.
Kindness
Kindness is another of the novel's major themes. Throughout his elementary-school journey, Zinkoff encounters adversity and cruelty. However, he never becomes bitter and never assumes malice on the part of the people who mistreat him. This is due to Zinkoff's inherent kindness. He accepts without judgment all the people he meets and interacts with, even those who seek to humiliate and shame him. When younger, Zinkoff's luminous spirit of kindness also extends toward himself, as he always treats himself with kindness, never resorting to negative self-talk or shame. However, the events of Field Day begin to compromise Zinkoff's protective barrier of self-love, and he feels shame at having let his team down. Despite this, Zinkoff sacrifices his own safety and comfort to find Claudia when she goes missing in the snow. Ultimately, Zinkoff's extreme act of kindness is recognized by the people around him, and this inherent qualities are celebrated.
