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Chapter 12
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in About a Boy, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Chosen Family
Coming of Age and Maturity
Alienation and Mental Illness
Identity, Pop Culture, and Fitting In
Summary
Analysis
Though Marcus led Will to believe he was afraid to leave his mum by herself, it was actually part of his scheme to secretly set them up on a date. From Marcus’s perspective, Will is financially secure and single (Marcus followed Will home one day when he saw him out shopping and concluded he didn’t have a girlfriend), and his mum is pretty and single. And, considering Will has a kid (though Marcus saw no sign of one the day he followed Will home), Marcus sees a chance to at least double the size of his family. He reasons that this way, if one of them dies, the loss won’t feel quite as devastating because they’ll have other family members to share the pain with.
Marcus’s motivation to expand his family unit reveals his pragmatic understanding of his current familial situation. By attempting to engineer a relationship between Will and Fiona, Marcus seeks to create a larger, more resilient support system. His rationale—that the addition of family members could mitigate the impact of future losses—demonstrates his mature, albeit somewhat morbid, outlook on coping with grief. This plan highlights Marcus’s proactive approach to addressing his emotional needs as well as his perception of Will as a potential stabilizing force, despite the inconsistencies he’s noticed in Will’s story of single fatherhood.
Themes
Will arrives at the flat to pick up Marcus and Fiona. Breaking the awkward tension in the air (since the last time Will and Fiona saw each other, Fiona was unconscious), Fiona makes a joke about recovering well from her “stomach bug,” which Marcus finds annoying. At Marcus’s request, they plan to eat at Planet Hollywood because Marcus thinks that a restaurant catering to celebrities has to be cool and expensive. However, when they arrive, they find there is a long line and wait time. Will suggests a close, less crowded restaurant called Twenty-Eight, enticing Marcus with their delicious fries and the added possibility of running into Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.
The encounter at the flat, where Fiona humorously refers to her recent suicide attempt as a “stomach bug,” serves to alleviate the awkwardness of their last meeting, but it also irritates Marcus, who perceives it as trivializing her suicide attempt. This tension underscores the delicate nature of their relationship and the different ways each character copes with difficult situations. Marcus’s choice to eat at Planet Hollywood reflects his naivety and idealized view of what constitutes a fun and impressive outing. The long wait at the restaurant serves as a practical challenge that showcases Will’s adaptability and willingness to ensure the outing’s success. His suggestion of Twenty-Eight and the promise of potential celebrity sightings is a clever tactic to maintain Marcus’s excitement, reflecting Will’s growing consideration for Marcus’s feelings and interests.
Themes
At the restaurant, Marcus tries to encourage conversation between his mum and Will, hoping this “family” outing will be the first of many. He initially suggests that his mum order the same plate as Will, but when this tactic fails, he abandons subtlety and insists that they speak to each other. At Marcus’s prodding, Will and Fiona reveal that neither of them has ever been married, and they exchange information about their exes. As the food arrives, Marcus is delighted to see that the adults are now too engaged in their conversation to even notice. He digs into his meal, all the while fantasizing about where they’ll all live once Will and his mum officially couple up.
During their meal, Marcus’s attempts to foster conversation between his mum and Will highlight his determination and desperation to form a new family dynamic. His initial strategy of suggesting they order the same food reflects his somewhat naïve thinking that shared choices will automatically create a bond. As the adults become absorbed in their conversation, Marcus’s satisfaction and fantasies about a future family setup illustrate his longing for normalcy and connection, as well as his ability to strategically influence and shape the dynamics around him to fulfill his emotional needs.
Themes
