44 pages • 1 hour read
Vince VawterPaperboy
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2013A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Summary
Background
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Character Analysis
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
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BetaEssay Topics
Compare the words that Victor uses to describe himself versus how he describes others. What does that say about his self-perception?
What role does Mam play in Victor’s racial and social awareness? What does he learn from her about the wider society they live in?
How does Mr. Spiro affect Victor’s intellectual and moral development? What perspectives does the novel offer about the importance of intellectual development?
How does the novel represent childhood friendship? How does this inform or develop the narrative’s key themes and the characters’ arcs?
How does the novel represent Ara T.’s social environment? How does this affect his characterization?
What is the effect of leaving Mrs. Worthington’s plotline unresolved?
How does this novel use and subvert the conventions of the bildungsroman genre? Identify and analyze specific textual examples to support your response.
How does Vawter represent fatherhood? How does this depiction inform the narrative’s central themes and message?
Analyze the scene in which Mr. Spiro and Victor read Victor’s poetry. What does that scene tell you about each of their personalities?
What devices does Paperboy use to depict Tennessee in the 1950s? How do the various characters react to and understand the racial tensions in the time that they live in?
