Lawn Boy

Why did Paulson make Arnold’s style so out of touch with the time period of the novel? Is Arnold out of step in other ways, and if so, why?

Horatio Alger’s 19th-century works popularized the rags-to-riches plot, in which a poor hero becomes wealthy through hard work, a mentor’s assistance, and a convenient stroke of luck. What are the similarities and differences between a standard Alger hero and Lawn Boy’s protagonist?

Paulsen’s earlier works, such as the Hatchet series, are about survival, exploring how man works both against and with nature. What connections can you draw between themes in his early works and Lawn Boy’s themes around capitalism and responsibility?

Paulsen claims, “I don’t think in terms of a lesson for my work; I don’t look for role models or any of that. I tell stories.” In what ways are the characters in this novel role models? In what ways are they not?

Capitalism never fails the boy, and the boy’s newfound wealth doesn’t affect his personality or sense of himself. Is the novel capitalist propaganda? Why or why not?

Paulsen sometimes presents luck as a nearly tangible force, such as when the mower mystically tells the boy how to operate it. In what other scenes does luck feel physically present, and how do these moments affect the story’s themes (the nature of work, responsibility over tools, etc.)?

Consider how the story and its themes would differ if Paulsen wrote the novella from an adult point of view. How does the boy’s preteen perspective affect the narrative?

The boy is the story’s only young character. How does the absence of other children influence the story?