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Chapter 16
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
Believing the government has found his dad, Jamal approaches the police and pleads with them not to arrest him. He promises his dad won’t start another school and that they’re going to Australia. His dad’s expression confuses him, however; his dad is giving pleading looks to Jamal, not the police. Jamal’s mom shows up and tells him it’s alright, and Jamal notice her face is uncovered. Jamal sees his dad hand the police money, and he realizes his dad is paying them not to arrest him. Jamal is relieved but wonders where his dad got all the money.
Like with the football stadium incident, Jamal misinterprets the situation at hand, believing his dad is being arrested when he is actually making a deal with what seems like smugglers. Again, Jamal acts impulsively, pleading with the police officers/smugglers not to arrest his dad. Though Jamal misunderstands the situation, these actions show Jamal to be not only loyal, but brave. Even though he is only a kid, he is willing to confront policemen if it might mean saving his dad.
Themes
The police take the money and leave. Jamal’s mom asks his dad when they’re leaving. Jamal is confused and his mom explains that those men can get them to Australia; that was what the money was for. Jamal is thrilled and tells Bibi all the exciting new things he learned about Australia. Despite the good news, however, Jamal’s mother looks sad. Jamal is confused by this and speculates that she must be missing her friends from home. Bibi thinks it must be some bad news they haven’t been told yet.
This passage underscores Jamal’s disconnect with the events happening around him. Not only does he fail to understand what is happening between his father and the smugglers, but even after learning the truth he still fails to understand the money for the tickets came from, or why his mother is so upset. Though Jamal is undoubtedly maturing, he still does not fully understand the world of adults.
Themes
