The primary theme of the narrative is the importance of family. The protagonist and narrator, Marcus, lives in a loving household with his mother and his brother. Although the three of them are close, Marcus feels the void left by his absent father. His absence creates additional financial and practical stress for his mother and opens the door for bullies, such as Stephen and Stephen’s mother, to misjudge and torment Marcus and Charlie. For example, after Marcus hits Stephen for insulting Charlie, Stephen’s mother says, “Clearly that boy doesn’t have any positive male role models in his life” (39).

Likewise, Stephen baits Marcus by saying, “Your mom and dad must be...Oh wait, that’s right. Your dad went to another country and never came back” (36). Melissa works very hard to keep the family together, but she and her children pay a price for her determination to do so by herself, without reaching out to her Puerto Rican family. While she works late, Marcus assumes responsibility for himself and Charlie. He also contributes financially to the household while trying to navigate his own problems in middle school. Once he begins to imagine finding his father in Puerto Rico, Marcus convinces himself that his father will solve all their financial and household-management problems.