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Chapter 15
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
As Marcus starts visiting Will more often, Will subconsciously begins incorporating Marcus into his weekly routines. He sometimes finds conversation difficult, as Marcus alternates between long silences and rapid interrogations. On a couple occasions, Will ensures he isn’t at his apartment at 4:15, the exact time Marcus usually stops by, because he needs a break. But for the most part, Will can see that he adds something to the boy’s life, whatever that may be. He tries to be there for Marcus, at least on the surface—he insists he has no intention of “[embroiling] himself in the sorry dog’s dinner that was Marcus’s life.”
As Marcus begins visiting more and more, Will subconsciously integrates him into his personal routines. He has a fondness for the boy, though the frequency of his visits sometimes borders on excessive. However, Will recognizes that his mostly stable presence adds something valuable to Marcus’s life, even if Will isn’t fully aware of what it is himself.
Themes
One day, Marcus shows up at Will’s, pursued by school bullies who pelt him with hard candy. Will scares the older boys away and asks Marcus what happened. Upon learning that Marcus is actually bullied all the time, Will becomes increasingly angry at Marcus’s casual, defeatist attitude toward the whole ordeal. He tells Marcus that there are probably plenty of other “weird” kids like him at his London school, but he just can’t “see” them because they’ve hidden their weirdness with cool clothes, hair, and style. Maybe, Will suggests, Marcus should use a similar tactic to “blend in.”
When Will realizes the full gravity of Marcus’s bullying after witnessing an incident, he shifts into problem-solving mode. Will’s frustration grows as he absorbs Marcus’s defeatist acceptance of his situation, and, in response, he suggests that Marcus could avoid being targeted by adopting a more “normal” appearance, similar to other kids who hide their various quirks with trendy clothes and hairstyles. This advice marks the moment when Will begins to take on an active role in helping Marcus navigate his social challenges.
Themes
Will takes Marcus to the trainer shop to find him a new pair of “cool” shoes. In the store, Will catches their reflection together in a mirror and is surprised to find how much they look like they could be father and son; he had always envisioned them appearing more like siblings. Although Marcus is at first skeptical of the trendy shoes—his mother always taught him to challenge the popular interests of the masses—he’s eventually won over by how cool he feels in his new Adidas trainers, and Will buys them for him. Will rides a philanthropic high for the next day, until Marcus shows up at his door, shoeless and in tears, informing him that the bullies have stolen his trainers.
Will’s gesture of buying the trainers for Marcus provides him with the temporary high that comes from doing something good. He is especially proud that his idea seems to be effective, as he catches Marcus admiring the shoes and can tell that he feels more confident. However, this feeling is short-lived when Marcus returns to Will’s flat the next day, explaining that his bullies stole his new trainers. This incident is significant primarily because it introduces the Adidas trainers as a symbol of Will’s inability to fix Marcus’s problem through superficial means, as well as the fruitlessness of expensive purchases in the face of legitimate struggle.
Themes
