Maggie often reminds Jared that “The world is hard […]. You have to be harder” (17). Despite his unstable family life and the hardships he faces, Jared is nevertheless compassionate and empathetic, caring for others more than they care about him. Where does he learn this empathy? What keeps him from hardening off against the world the way his mother has?

Trickster stories, author Eden Robinson explains, are meant to highlight Wee’git as “the bad example, the example of what not to do,” so that humans learn a lesson (Warren, Jennifer. “Why It Took Eden Robinson Eight Years to Write Canada Reads Finalist Son of a Trickster.” CBCnews, 18 Mar. 2020). What lessons does Jared learn over the course of the school year? Do other characters learn any valuable lessons, too?

The novel has elements of a coming of age story, though Jared often exhibits a sense of maturity and responsibility beyond his 16 years. In what ways is he already an adult, and in what ways is he still a child? What are the positive and negative consequences of him having to grow up too quickly?