My Reading of About a Boy

Theme

The theme is about Growing up, physically and mentally. This we see late in the book where both Will and Marcus gets a girlfriend. They mature, well to the age they should be. Marcus goes from being ”old” to a regular twelve-year-old and Will becomes a mature man instead of a whining teenager.

Friendship also plays a huge role. Will and Marcus develop a relationship with each other. They develop a friendship very much like a father-son relationship.

 

Setting:

The book is set in London, early 90’s.

”Right now he was listening to Nirvana and Snoop Doggy Dogg”

Nirvana and Snoop Dogg were very popular in the 90’s. Still is today, but their peak was in the 90’s.

Plot:

The story begins when Will decides to go to SPAT – Single parent group. Where he meets the mother of Marcus. Will doesn’t meet Marcus until the first SPAT picnic. Both Marcus and Will thinks the picnic is boring, Marcus especially. He even throws a bred on a duck and kills it.

After that day, Marcus starts showing up at Wills apartment every afternoon. Fiona, does not like this and burst in one day in Wills apartment and confronts him for being a perv. After that, Marcus doesn’t show up to Will anymore.

Even though Fiona and Will are not ”friends” anymore, he gets invited to celebrate Christmas with them where they celebrate Christmas as a family. The evening turns in to be one of the best for Will and Marcus. Will later goes to a new-year-party where he meets Rachel and falls in love with her. They keep in touch and Will is often at her place. Somehow she knew about Wills ”son”. Which he clearly does not have. Rachel wants to meet his son, and Marcus needs to step in. Will later confesses that Marcus is not his son. In the beginning, Rachel is upset but forgives Will because he treats Marcus like a father. Wich reflects the theme.

Character Development:

After Marcus meets Ellie, he changes completely. From being ”the oldest twelve-year-old” to the ”regular twelve-year-old”, the shy and weird boy, to the boy who fits in, listen to the same music and has ”normal” clothes.

Will also changes, after he meets Rachel. He went from being a selfish teenager in a man’s body to a man who takes responsibility and has good relationships.

 

Questions to Interview

1. The book is about a boy and a man, who finds themselves throughout the story with each other. How does this relate to this generation
2. in the book; the absolute true diary of a part-time Indian we meet Arnold or junior, who grows up as a minority. is this still relatable
3. will and Marcus develop as persons, tell me more about that
4. how was it to grow up as a minority.
5. in the book u speak about topics like alcoholism, poverty, can you go deeper in on why you wrote about that