What is the theme in The Things a Brother Knows by Dana Reinhardt?

Brothers are a central theme in the story. It is impossible when reading Dana Reinhardt's "The Things a Brother Knows," not to notice that several themes emerge involving brothers. The story unfolds when seventeen-year-old Levi is contemplating the return of his older brother from his stint in the US Marines. He reflects back to how close he and his brother had been growing up. With a little bitterness, he remembers things changed when Boaz got a driver's license and a girlfriend. Even though Levi wants to be just like his brother, he fears he never will measure up because Boaz has it all.