Loyalty

A strong theme that emerges in "Dead End in Norvelt" is a sense of loyalty that ranges from young Jack Gantos' loyalty to each of his parents, who at times pit him against each other to his loyalty to a new-found and unexpected friend. For an eleven-year-old, Jack is put in some adult-sized situations by none other than his parents. The cowardly Mr. Gantos orders Jack to mow down his mother's cornfield so he can build a landing strip for his plane. Jack wants to obey his father but knows that his mother will be crushed. He respects both of his parents but his father had placed him in an impossible situation. Although he's a smart kid and knows that his father was not fair to him, his loyalty to his father stays in tact. Jack has a wisdom and understanding beyond his young years. Although he doesn't...