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Chapter 26
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 has succeeded in making the bread, but he is now seasick. Still, everyone is enjoying the bread, including Omar and other small kids on the boat. Rashida says the seasickness should wear off in a day, but Omar says it will be closer to a week. Jamal worries Omar is right given how many other people are still sick. Rashida offers Jamal a sip of water, and Omar asks for one too, saying he’s also sick. Jamal reminds himself why they’re suffering through this experience: to get to Australia. There, the government is nice, and the people are always laughing.
Though his sickness prevents him from eating the bread, Jamal does reap the social benefits of sharing it with the boat. People are happy to be fed, and Jamal is the one responsible for feeding them. This scene also highlights the power of hope. Even though he is suffering from seasickness, Jamal’s hopes for Australia sustain him, motivating him to keep moving forward.
Themes
