The Lost Boy Literary Elements

A novel

The events of the story take place mostly in San Francisco. The perspective of The Lost Boy is based on the life of Dave Pelzer from ages 12 to 18.

The story is told from the first point of view by Dave Pelzer.

The tone is contemplative while mood is uneasy.

Dave Pelzer is the protagonist of the story, his past is the antagonist. Although he doesn’t live with his abusive mother anymore, his past, all the pain and sorrow prevent him from living a normal life.

The major conflict is person vs. self.

Dave’s decision to join the United States Air Forces is the climax of the story.

I was fully aware that what I was doing was wrong. I also knew that some of the bigger boys were using me, but I didn’t care. After years of isolation, I was finally accepted within a group.
This confession foreshadows the events of the story. Dave’s dreams of being accepted make him make a lot of wrong decisions and lead to numerous troubles.

You’re perfectly fine.
Ms. Gold tries to reassure both herself and Dave that he is perfectly fine. They want him to move on if this is so easy.

The novel alludes to the Beatles, James Bong, the Golden Gate Bridge.

There is important imagery of hunger and fear.

I wish I was a real person.

The Boy this. The Boy that. The Boy, The Boy, The Boy.

Oh, so Momma’s little boy has a mouth. (A mouth is metonymy that represents an ability to argue back.)
She turned to the right as she took off her glasses. (Glasses are synecdoche that represents spectacles.)

The car creeps down the street.