In Paperboy, Victor learns that family is a bit more complicated than he's always assumed. When he finds his birth certificate in his parents' bedroom, he realizes that the man he's considered his father for his entire life isn't actually biologically related to him—oops. Because of this, Victor has to consider what family really means and how he feels about his dad since they aren't technically related. This is only one way in which the definition of family extends beyond blood, though; after all, Mam is practically a second mother to Victor, too.
Questions About Family
- What are the marriages in this book like? Are there any patterns that emerge? If so, what do you notice and what does this tell you about marriage in this book?
- Does Victor see Mam more as an employee or as family? How can you tell? Be sure to give evidence from the text.
- Does finding out that his father isn't biologically related to him change the way that Victor sees his family? If so, how? If not, why not?
Chew on This
Even though Victor's dad isn't his biological father, Victor comes to the conclusion that he's his family because he's made the effort to raise Victor and love him unconditionally.
Victor's family plays a key role in helping him feel loved and accepted despite his stuttering.