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Chapter 4
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Son of a Trickster, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Dysfunctional Families, Responsibility, and Maturity
Love vs. Violence
Escapism and Confronting Problems
The Environment and Human Destruction
Summary
Analysis
On Facebook, Nana Sophia posts pictures of herself on the cruise ship where she’s spending her honeymoon. Jared notices that she’s online and starts chatting with her. She asks Jared to spend Christmas with her, but he knows that his mom would see this as a betrayal. She asks if Jared can stay with his dad, and Jared says that his dad is fresh off Oxycodone and that his stepdaughter just got pregnant and is staying with him. Nana Sophia also tells Jared that he should show Richie respect, otherwise Richie will continue to be a problem for him. She says that she’s moving back to Canada in the spring, and that Jared can stay with her if he likes. He thanks her, and she signs off, “Sweet dreams, Cutie.”
Nana Sophia’s genuine concern and care for Jared is a stark contrast to the way other adults in his life treat him. The fact that she is openly affectionate toward him and tries to help him with his problems makes this the healthiest and most stable relationship Jared has. In addition, Jared’s exchange with Nana Sophia also highlights some of his family’s issues (such as drug addiction and teen pregnancy), which have caused him to deal with mature problems even at a young age.
Themes
