Paperboy - Vince Vawter

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Vawter, V. (2013). Paperboy. New York: Delacorte Press. ISBN 9780385742443

PLOT SUMMARY

A young boy with a speech impediment takes on his friends’ paper route for one month. During this month, he transforms from a young boy into the beginnings of a man. His thoughts and opinions contradict the times and experiences in his life lead him to discover not all hardships are a negative lesson.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Set in 1959, Paperboy focuses more on the speech impediment rather than overtly stating any of the societal norms of the era. During Little Man’s daily life, we can almost feel the shy, introverted little boy who wants to show the world he’s a bright, smart young man. His speech heavily influences his interactions with those in his community. He bonds fiercely with those who treat him perfectly normal.

While taking his friends’ paper route, Little Man encounters a drunk woman stuck in her marriage, an enigmatic older man and TV boy. As the month progresses, he learns that sometimes a lonely old man just wants company and not all children have to be spoken to like one. An unhappy woman sometimes just wants someone to listen to her and make her not so sad all the time. That a boy who sits in front of the TV all the time may not be lazy and there are others out there who have disabilities different than his own.

Throughout July, we start to see him emerge from his shell and start to stand up for himself as he couldn’t stand up for others without tripping over his words. He begins to understand that some of the laws and rules grown-ups have aren’t moral right and they have a secret code he desperately needs to unravel.

While racism is very much a part of the national climate in the late 1950’s, I appreciate how Vawter uses everyday life to shed some light on the issues. His point of view as a child during this time shows the very black and white opinions of the character in a clear cut way. “I still don’t see why it’s such a big deal to have everybody going to the same school. You can’t tell what a kid is like just by how he looks. Or how he talks.” (Vawter, 2013, pg 217). He is able to empathize with the black community because he is also judge on a daily basis; they judge him on his speech thinking him unintelligent rather than his skin color.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

“Carefully crafted language, authenticity of setting and quirky characters that ring fully true all combine to make this a worthwhile read…. An engaging and heartfelt presentation that never whitewashes the difficult time and situation as Little Man comes of age.” – Kirkus Review May 14th, 2013

“Vawter portrays a protagonist so true to a disability that one cannot help but empathize with the difficult world of a stutterer. Yet, Victor’s story has much broader appeal as the boy begins to mature and redefine his relationship with his parents, think about his aspirations for the future, and explore his budding spirituality.” – School Library Journal

“Paperboy offers a penetrating look at both the mystery and the daily frustrations of stuttering. People of all ages will appreciate his positive and universal story as I did, but it will be particularly meaningful to anyone who has ever struggled with stuttering.” – Jane Fraser, president of the Stuttering Foundation of America

CONNECTIONS 

*Write a creative paper showing your typical day but add in a stutter. How would that affect your life? What are some activities you found significantly harder to do?

*Teacher assigns a “handicap” to groups of students. Bubble map some positive ways this person could influence others and educate them on the disability.