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Chapter 8
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Bone Sparrow, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Dehumanization, Invisibility, and Refugee Camps
Childhood
Family and Friendship
Storytelling, Escapism, and Hope
Summary
Analysis
Jimmie is thinking about Subhi. She likes him—he seemed quiet and talked to a rubber duck. Jimmie’s mum used to enjoy her conversations with a garden gnome. Now, Jimmie picks up her mum’s notebook and says that Subhi can read. Just then, Jonah bursts in the front door, singing along with the music in his headphones. She teases him about buying music instead of saving for her bike, and he says he doesn’t have money for a bike. Jimmie freezes and flushes—but then, Jonah laughs so hard he shoots milk out his nose. Jimmie decides not to dump the milk carton over his head, which is what she would’ve done when she was younger. Instead, she gets him back by spitting in his milk when he isn’t looking. Then, she returns to her room and the book, thinking of Subhi, reading, and of getting to Subhi on her new bike.
Jimmie likes Subhi in part because he reminds her of her mum, who also had an imaginary friend. He also represents a possible connection with her mum, as he can read—and so he could potentially read her mum’s notebook. While Jonah and Jimmie clearly love each other, Jonah’s behavior reads as extremely immature—and recall that with their dad gone for days at a time, Jonah is often in charge. Due to Jonah’s immaturity, this suggests that Jimmie is functionally on her own.
Themes
