40 pages • 1 hour read
Emmy LaybourneA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
The novel sets up an image system of transgressing physical boundaries. A prominent image is the fist violating another person’s body. Physical violence abounds in the novel and starts with Dean attacking Alex after being exposed to the chemicals. Physical fights between the boys continue and culminate in Jake attacking Dean while the boys drink. These images point back to the theme of social hierarchies and masculine expressions of dominance. The one who is the strongest remains dominant. When Dean attacks Brayden, he is symbolically vying for Brayden’s status within the group. The image of the fist repeats and heightens itself with the gun, which is the ultimate expression of dominance. It has the ability to severely impair or even take a life, as it does with Robbie’s. Robbie’s power is irrevocably removed by the gun in Josie’s hands. The gun also functions as a phallic symbol, relating back to male aggression.