Throughout the novel, all of the characters learn just how little they know about the interior of one another’s lives. For instance, Evan learns that he and Connor share many similarities, from common interests to internal struggles. Similarly, the Murphys don’t know that Connor was not responsible for the drugs that resulted in his expulsion from boarding school, or that he was trying to save a close friend from the same fate. While the novel’s central conflict rests on Evan’s deliberate attempts to hide the truth, underneath it all is the sense that everyone is trying their best to hold it all together, though they are afraid to reveal the truth.

The characters in Dear Evan Hansen inhabit a world teenagers are all too familiar with, in which everything can be shared instantly with the click of a button. Yet it’s never been more difficult to build community. Despite so many opportunities to connect with others, we are further from one another than ever before. It’s no wonder that Evan, and everyone else who resonates with Connor’s story, feels so isolated, or that the Connor Project affects so many people. The project shows people that they aren’t alone, even when it feels like no one is listening.