Relationships

One of the primary themes running through the novel is relationships. The novel reveals that even the individuals that make up a family have different relationships among the family members. For example, Eddie and his father have a closer relationship than Eddie and his mother. Eddie and his mother, however, have a unique relationship of their own.

Friendship is another type of relationship the novel tackles. First, Eddie doesn't have any friends in school. Everyone thinks he is an idiot. Since Eddie is always disrupting class with his questions, most of the kids don't want anything to do with. Billy, however, comes to understand Eddie. They form a friendship that is endless—even death cannot separate the two boys. Billy and Eddie counteract each other as friends. While Eddie is the leader in many things that the boys do, Billy is the one that grounds Eddie, helps...