Death

Death is one of the foremost themes in "The Stone Boy." It is expressed literally in Eugie's death, but this accident brings about a series of metaphoric deaths. For Arnold, Eugie's death represents not only the physical loss of his brother but also of his male ideal. Eugie's loss means that Arnold no longer has a role model upon which to base his own life. The death of Eugie means the death of the young man that Arnold would have become.

By the end of the story, Arnold undergoes a metaphoric death of his own. As he realizes that his family has no faith in him and seems only to want to shut him out, he withdraws, not simply from his family, but from humanity in general. In essence, by the end of the story, Arnold has lost his very soul. The theme also can be found in...