Popcorn (Symbol)
In Small Steps, popcorn is a symbol of prejudice against Armpit. When Armpit was 14, he was tripped in the movie theater by two 17-18-year-old men. They then demanded that he pay for their popcorn, which led to a fight. Armpit was imprisoned because people blamed him and thought it was his fault because of how he looked; the context of the situation was ignored because of prejudice. He was imprisoned for about three years for a fight he didn't start, just because of his large tall build as an African-American boy. This situation affected Armpit deeply, which we see in Armpit's reaction to not being blamed for El Genius's attempt to murder Kaira (p. 244). Popcorn—something ordinary, frivolous, and physically insubstantial—symbolizes how absurd and disproportionate these prejudices are.
Popcorn pops up again to foreshadow prejudicial actions against Armpit. Before Armpit and Ginny learn that the tickets they entered the Kaira DeLeon show with are fake, Armpit looks at the popcorn Ginny bought and remembers the last time he had popcorn in public. Shortly after, Armpit is subject to brute force because the police and security guard have assumed he's dangerous, knew about the tickets being fake, and intends to be violent (p. 107-108).
Kaira's Music (Motif)
Kaira's music is a motif representing the theme of the connection between people. As soon as Armpit is invited into the Kaira DeLeon ticket scalping scheme, she begins communicating with him via music. Her song "Red Alert" plays, warning him of the issues that will result from his getting involved in X-Ray's scheme (p. 17). Similarly, when X-Ray and Armpit have successfully sold tickets, Kaira's lyrics foreshadow her meeting Armpit:
Just hold on! A little bit longer
...Hold on, Baby just a little big longer
'cause l'll get around to you
Once Armpit and X-Ray are preparing to leave the barbecue house without facing any issues, Kaira's song comes into focus once again:
A little bit longer
Hold on, Baby,
Just a little bit longer and then I'll be on my way
Sachar uses Kaira's music as a transcendent line of communication between Kaira and Armpit. The use of this motif also serves as a literary device foreshadowing their meeting and their future importance in each others lives.
Use of Nicknames (Symbol)
The use of nicknames in Small Steps symbolizes how people see each other, especially how Armpit and Kaira are regarded. Losing the nickname "Armpit" is one of Armpit's small steps he sets for himself upon returning to Austin. Armpit is a nickname that he was given while at Camp Green Lake, but that he hates. We see how embarrassed he feels about his nickname when X-Ray shows up at his job calling out "Armpit!" (p. 6). Armpit's nickname symbolizes his past, and his desire to lose the nickname represents his desire to redeem himself and be more than a convict in everyone's eyes.
We also see the symbol of nicknames in how Kaira is regarded by everyone. Kaira DeLeon isn't Kaira's real name—it's her stage name given to her by El Genius. However, everyone refers to her as Kaira, and Armpit refers to her by her full stage name (p. 154). This is similar to Armpit's situation, where people see him more as what he is than who he is. In Kaira's case, the symbol of her stage name represents people seeing her as a way to make money rather than a human with feelings.
"Damsel In Distress" (Allegory)
Kaira communicates to Armpit through her music, and her song "Damsel In Distress" is an allegory for her being in trouble. Armpit hears Kaira's lyrics as calling out for his help—"Save me Armpit! A damsel in distress" rather than "I'm but a damsel in distress" (p. 189-190). In the song, she sings about how even though on the outside she looks successful, she is in trouble and needs help. In Kaira's performance before her attempted murder, she changes the lyric to include Armpit's name. At this point in the book, the reader knows that El Genius is premeditating murder, and while Kaira doesn't know, her lyrics function as an allegory revealing the truth of her situation.
First-class Ticket (Symbol)
When Armpit flies to San Francisco, he's treated respectfully and doesn't experience the prejudice he usually receives. He's called "Mr. Johnson" rather than Armpit and people are offering him their services. After Armpit enters Kaira's world and saves her from El Genius, he has to trade his first-class ticket for an economy seat in order to fly home early. He doesn't mind at all—he just wants to go home to Austin (p. 245). This physical exchange of tickets also functions as a metaphorical exchange, symbolizing Armpit trading his time in the world of celebrity for re-joining the general population, after seeing that all that glitters isn’t gold.
