About A Boy

Chapter Plot, Characters, Setting ...

1 Marcus, a 12-year-old boy is introduced, who lives alone with his mother Fiona in London. They have just moved from Cambridge. His parents are separated and Fiona has just split up with her ex-boyfriend. The reader is informed about Marcus’ life before and after the separation.

2 Will Freeman is a 36-year-old single who lives in London. He isn’t really grown-up yet and he doesn’t have to work, because he gets enough money from the royalties of a popular Christmas carol his father once wrote.Besides, he is not the family type. He doesn’t like children and doesn’t want to get married. Will cares very much for his outward appearance. He thinks that his appearance impresses women and makes him interesting for them. Will thinks about himself as being very cool. This is proven by a questionnaire in a magazine, the result of which says that Will’s coolness quotient is even “sub-zero”.

3 Marcus is different from normal kids. He looks different and behaves differently from other children. Marcus is very shy and doesn’t have any friends.

He doesn’t seem to be “ right” for school, because of his clothes and his haircut.Therefore, nobody likes him. He is always the person to laugh at. Quite often, at night Marcus can’t sleep. He thinks about his life and his problems especially at school.One morning, at school, while the teacher tries to get a discussion going, Marcus suddenly starts singing out loud. He does this whenever he is nervous. The other students shriek with laughter.

4 Will meets his new girl-friend Angie, a single mother with two children.Though he doesn’t like children, he doesn’t mind going on an outing with them from time to time and, above all, he likes having sex with Angie.

However, it is Angie who finishes the relationship because of her “situation”. At this point, Will develops an interest in single mothers, because they are easy to please.

5 Marcus` mother starts crying in the morning. He realizes it is a bad sign but doesnÐ'Ò't know the reason. At school he wants to talk to his friends Nicky and Mark, but they donÐ'Ò't want to speak with him, because whenever they do, they get problems with a boy who doesn’t like Marcus. Marcus is often bullied at school, because of his singing and his weird outward appearance.

6 Will goes to SPAT ( Single Parents - Alone Together) and pretends to be a single father with a two-year-old son whose mother has left him. On his first visit to SPAT he is not very enthusiastic, but he meets Suzie there and gets very interested in her.

7 Returning home from a visit to his father in Cambridge for the weekend, Marcus finds his mother lying on the floor covered with a coat watching children’s cartoons. He is very worried about his mother’s state of health.

A few days later, Fiona asks him to go on a picnic with Suzie, one of her girlfriends. Actually Marcus doesn’t want to go, but his mother wants to be alone at home. Marcus gives in to please her.

8 Will continues his role as a single father. He meets Marcus on the outing with Suzie at RegentÐ'Ò's park on a Saturday afternoon. Will thinks about a way to Ð'Ò'killÐ'Ò' Ned, his imaginary son. He decides to leave him with his ex-wife Paula so he doesnÐ'Ò't have to “let him die” in a car accident or something else. He also admits Suzie that he doesnÐ'Ò't work and lives off the royalties from a famous Christmas song written by his father. As Will and Suzie relax near a pond talking about their lives, Marcus kills a duck with a French loaf. (Julia Bauch)

9 Will helps Marcus explaining the killing to the park-keeper. In this scene Will is very understanding. As Will and Suzie take Marcus home they see Fiona lying on the floor. She has tried to commit suicide. Despite Marcus’ vast experience with violent movies, this is the “scariest thing he’d had ever seen, by a million miles, and he knew the moment he walked in that it was something he’d have to think about forever” (p. 5 .

10 They call an ambulance and Marcus, “the oldest twelve year old boy in world”, is very confused and shocked . Will feels very awkward because he isnÐ'Ò't sure how to handle this situation. He doesnÐ'Ò't know what to say and to do with Marcus. Fiona has to stay in hospital for one night while Marcus stays at Suzie’s.

11 On the kitchen table Marcus finds a melodramatic farewell-letter Fiona has written on “the day of the dead duck”. After having returned from hospital Fiona seems th be even more depressive than before. Marcus is extremely irritated about the letter and the whole situation. He feels obliged to look after his mother like a grown up. As a matter of fact, the whole situation demands too much from him.

12 Will is taking life easy. He doesnÐ'Ò't have to work because he earns enough money from the royalties, he is hanging around all day watching TV and videos, driving around in his great car. He copes with the days by dividing them into 30-minute units and filling them with activities. “He had reached a stage where he wondered how his friends could juggle life and a job”(p.72) Nevertheless, his so-called friendships are superficial because actually he is not really interested in people. Marcus and Fiona bring a lot of trouble into his system of living. However, he seems to be pleased about this situation.

13 Marcus decides to bring Will and his mother together but Fiona isnÐ'Ò't sure about MarcusÐ'Ò's plans. She doesnÐ'Ò't really want to go out with Will because he isnÐ'Ò't the kind of man she really likes. Marcus wants to go to Planet Hollywood. Will and Fiona are not happy about this decision but Marcus insists on this restaurant. Marcus tries to initiate a conversation but nobody wants to speak. So they sit there, eat and go home again. In MarcusÐ'Ò's eyes it is a disastrous evening.

14 Will hates this evening and feels awkward because normally he is only interested in the sexual side of life, but Fiona absolutely isnÐ'Ò't his type.

A few days later Will is invited to Fiona and Marcus for coffee. Fiona and Marcus want to entertain him and sing to FionaÐ'Ò's playing on the piano. Will feels unpleasant and longs for getting home. So he leaves early. Marcus is a bit angry about this and decides