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Chapter 12
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Boy Overboard, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Immigration, Family, and Home
Identity and Ancestry
Hope
Gender and Discrimination
Summary
Analysis
Jamal and Bibi return to the shop, but their parents are not there. Jamal reassures his sister that their dad is just making sure they’re not followed. Jamal packs everything to go, except for their mom’s candlestick which has a candle burning in it for good luck. Their parents arrive in the taxi, and the family embraces. Bibi reveals they were at the football stadium, but their mom is not upset and thanks them for having a candle burning in the candlestick. Bibi asks what will happen to the other women, and Jamal replies they could not do anything for them; they are “just a family.” Their mom promises they will stay a family, no matter what happens.
This passage highlights the power of family as a safeguard against harm. Upon returning safely to the abandoned shop, for instance, Jamal and Bibi’s mother thanks them for lighting her ancestral candlestick; she believes lighting it harnesses the goodwill and protection of her ancestors, and she attributes the part of the success of her rescue to it being lit. However, tragically, this passage implies that the other female teachers at the stadium weren’t so lucky and were executed, highlighting the government’s cruelty and control over its citizens.
Themes
Bibi asks where they are going, and their mom tells her they’re going someplace “a long way away.” Jamal goes to help his dad, who is painting the car red. As they work, Jamal tells his dad he and Bibi could have helped in the rescue attempt. His dad is touched and tells Jamal he is proud he is his son. Jamal’s dad reveals he is going to sell the taxi, and Jamal realizes what a great sacrifice he is making. Jamal imagines another conversation with Yusuf’s grandfather. In it, he asks whether becoming a famous football star would allow his family to come back to Afghanistan and start a new, kinder government, and Yusuf’s grandfather says yes. Jamal promises to do it.
After his traumatic experience at the football stadium, Jamal adjusts his plan for becoming a famous football player. Having witnessed firsthand the cruelty of the government, as well as the true danger facing his family, Jamal reorients his plan around the idea of returning to fix Afghanistan, instead of winning back the favor of the government. While still idealistic, this shift in Jamal’s dream illustrates a step towards a more realistic worldview. He does not want to fully give up on his country, but he also recognizes the need for his family to flee.
Themes
