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“Santa’s Super Sleigh”
The Adidas trainers that Will buys for Marcus to help him fit in at school and avoid bullying symbolizes the difficulties of fitting in. Tormented for his frizzy hair and eccentric style cultivated at the hands of his hippie mum, Marcus struggles to find community in his new school. Operating under the belief that keeping up with popular trends is the answer to all social problems, Will learns the full extent of Marcus’s bullying and purchases the trendy sneakers in a bid to help Marcus blend in with his peers. But when Marcus’s bullies steal the trainers the next day, leaving him shoeless and in tears, Will is confronted with the truth that possessions and the latest fashions don’t make a person either worthy or interesting. Somewhat ironically, it isn’t until self-proclaimed “cool” guy Will spends time with an “uncool” 12-year-old that he learns being honest, vulnerable, and kind is infinitely more valuable than being cool. And Marcus finds community as he finally constructs his own identity, one that authentically reflects him—and which does not hinge entirely on having a clothing item that’s widely popular.
The Trainers Quotes in About a Boy
The About a Boy quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Trainers. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 16
Quotes
The following day Marcus turned up at Will’s door, tearful, a pair of soggy black socks where his Adidas basketball boots should have been; they’d stolen them, of course.
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Chapter 36
Quotes
But all three of them had had to lose things in order to gain other things. Will had lost his shell and his cool and his distance, and he felt scared and vulnerable, but he got to be with Rachel; and Fiona had lost a big chunk of Marcus, and she got to stay away from the casualty ward; and Marcus had lost himself, and got to walk home from school with his shoes on.
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The Trainers Symbol Timeline in About a Boy
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Trainers appears in About a Boy. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 16
...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,...
(full context)
Chapter 17
Fiona fails to notice when Marcus brings home his new trainers, but she certainly notices when he returns from school and he’s barefoot. Marcus explains that...
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Chapter 18
...but think about Marcus, who he hasn’t seen since Fiona yelled at him about the trainers. He figures this is most likely because of the similarities between Marcus and Fiona and...
(full context)
Chapter 19
...Marcus’s wishes, Fiona informs the school’s headmistress, Mrs. Morrison, about the boys who stole his trainers, forcing Marcus to discuss the ordeal with her in person. While waiting outside her office,...
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