About a Boy Background Material

“About A Boy” – Background Material

1) For a short biography of the author, go to ‘wikipedia’

2) Style

Point of View

The novel is told in the third-person and omniscient point of view. The narration moves from Marcus to Will in alternating chapters, Marcus beginning and Will coming second. The changing narration allows the reader to see the action of the novel through the eyes of each of the main characters, which occasionally includes a different view on the same event.

The point of view in this novel is common to most modern bestsellers. However, in this novel the author has two clear narrators who take turns telling the story. This is well thought out and organized, telling the reader a strong story through the eyes of two very different narrators. In fact, by telling the story in this fashion, the writer opens the door to a few comic situations that only the reader can fully appreciate. For this reason, the point of view works well with this novel.

Setting

The novel is set in London for the majority of the plot. This is a new setting to Marcus. London is a bigger city where he does not fit in at the school and is often bullied. This is a familiar setting for Will who has lived in London most of his life. By seeing this city through the eyes of two different characters, it becomes two different settings. For Marcus it is a city full of perils, but for Will it is a city full of fun and excitement.

The setting of this novel is important for several reasons. For one, Marcus sees the city as a large and impersonal place that highlights his sense of loneliness. Marcus feels as though he is alone in the world because his mother struggles with depression and takes little interest in his daily struggles. For Will, the city also highlights his loneliness, but for Will it is a loneliness that is less an emotion and more a sense of aloneness. As these two characters come together, they learn to deal with their difficulties together, but in different ways. For this reason, the setting plays an important role in emphasizing the themes of the novel.

Language and Meaning

The language of this novel is simple English. There are no foreign words in the novel, but there are words that are common in England that a reader from other parts of the world might not be familiar with. The grammar is also a little unfamiliar in some places, putting words in an order that readers from other parts of the world might not recognize but those in England consider normal, everyday conversation.

The language of the novel make it clear to the reader that the writer is English and his characters are English as well. There are words and grammar usage that are common in England, giving the novel a definite sense of the culture and quirks of the people the characters in this book are defined by. The language gives the novel a sense of authenticity that makes the characters come to life, filling the pages with funny and confused people that the reader comes to care about.

Structure

The novel is divided into thirty-six chapters. Each chapter is fairly short. The odd chapters are narrated by Marcus and the even chapters are narrated by Will. The novel is told both in exposition and dialogue, showing the story to the reader rather than just telling it. There is a good amount of internal monologue in this novel as well, showing how Will and Marcus have been motivated and made decisions that impact the overall plot of the novel.

There is one main plot and multiple subplots in this novel. The main plot is about the budding and established relationship between the two main characters, Will and Marcus. One subplot follows Will as he makes up a son in order to join a single parents group so that he might meet single mothers to date. Another subplot follows the course of Fiona's deep depression and the impact it has on her son, Marcus. All these plots come to a satisfying conclusion at the end of the novel.