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Chapter 38
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Deadly, Unna?, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Race, Injustice, and Action
Courage and Masculinity
Duty and Sacrifice
Teamwork and Family
Summary
Analysis
Blacky is paralyzed with fear but eventually manages to push himself to open the door to his father’s bedroom. He sneaks around his sleeping father. Once again, he has to pause because he is so afraid. Finally, he crawls over to his father’s discarded overalls and sneaks his hand into the pocket. His father stops snoring and rolls over. His face is so close to Blacky’s that he can smell the beer on his breath. Blacky carefully pulls the keys out of the pocket.
Blacky expresses true courage by overcoming his fear of his father in order to steal the keys and do the moral action of covering up the graffiti. This contrasts with the shallow expectations of courage placed upon boys in his community, where they can never show fear and must express bravery through sports or violence.
Themes
Blacky orders himself to move out of the room. He hurries around the room and out the door. His heart is pounding. He finally has the keys to his father’s shed.
Blacky overcomes his fear of his father’s anger, showing how much his character has developed since the beginning of the novel.
Themes
