Stuttering
The major theme of the novel is stuttering, and since the author himself battled a severe speech impediment growing up, it is the theme in which the most emotion is invested. It is stuttering that has shaped the personality of the main character, Victor, and he approaches the world as something that has been designed especially to make him say alliterative words and phrases that cause him the maximum problem. Stuttering causes him to make friends with Rat, since Rat is a patient and kind boy who is supportive of Victor's efforts to express himself. It also makes him very wary of taking on the paper route, and since he overcomes this fear, it is also the thing that enables him to "come of age" and discover a new and more confident side of himself. Stuttering also shapes the way in which Victor views the people he meets on his route. We learn that Mrs Worthington, who is trying to be flirtatious, feels bad about herself and that is something that Victor feels a connection to. We learn that Mr Spiro is gifted with words, and his encouragement of Victor makes us realize that children such as Victor have plenty to say even if they cannot make their mouths say it for them. Finally, stuttering is also what makes Victor realize that he is judging TV Boy in the same way that people judge him. The theme of the novel is the way in which stuttering is perceived, and what it actually means on a daily basis to have a stammer or stutter that makes the world pre-judge the stutterer before they have even tried to express themselves.
What It Means To Be A Dad
One of the themes of the novel is the classic difference between being a "father" and being a "dad". As Victor's birth certificate proves, anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to step up and be a dad. Being a dad doesn't depend on genetics but on character, on the willingness to accept a child as one's own and nurture and develop them. Being a dad means encouraging a child to be the best version of himself or herself, not a parody of someone else, and of always seeing the best in a child even if it means seeing the best in a bad situation. Victor's Dad does this by never allowing Victor's stutter to sideline him, always including him in social events and occasions and never seeming to be embarrassed by his stuttering. He always encourages Victor, goes out of his way to spend time with him doing what he knows Victor enjoys, and deliberately creating more opportunities for them to be together. The theme here is that it doesn't matter if a child is related to you by blood or not; it is much more important to be a Dad than a birth father.
Segregation
The theme of segregation underpins the novel but is not politicized in any way; rather, the author presents it as a series of very unfair and unjust situations that show the illogical principle that kept black and white people segregated at the time the novel was set. Although Mam is perfectly capable of riding at the front of a bus without creating a major incident, she is not allowed to do so unless Victor is with her. The fact that a grown adult woman can only be validated as an equal member of society by a little boy is rather ridiculous, but it is never commented upon by the author who enables the reader to come to their own conclusions about segregation. Similarly, Mam cannot visit the Zoo unless Victor is with her. There is also clearly a divide between the people who embrace the possibilities of integration and the people who do not; for example, Rat's parents are frightened of integration and want Rat to attend a segregated school, whereas it is intimated that Victor's parents are less concerned by this. Victor himself believes that judging the character of a person based on color is stupid and they should be judged on their soul instead. Although it is not mentioned, Victor clearly lives in a "white" area as all of the people he meets on his paper route are white, which tells the reader subliminally that Victor's life is affected by segregation without him even realizing it.
Coming Of Age
Victor is an eleven year old boy who really comes of age and finds his confidence as a young man as the novel progresses. Thanks entirely to the paper route, he gains the confidence to speak to people regardless of the fact that he has trouble overcoming his stutter; he begins to realize that what he has to say is worth the wait. He also becomes more patient in waiting for the words to come. He also grows in confidence and tells his mother that he does not actually like pralines, whereas before his paper route he just thanked her for them and gave them away to a friend. The theme of coming of age is seen as a gradual progression throughout the novel as the reader sees all of the incidents and events along the way that enable a child to become the person he will eventually be as a man.
