Theme of growing up and losing childhood innocence
The main character of the novel is Lucius, an eleven year old boy who surrenders to temptation and curiosity and embarks on a road-trip with Boon. The decision to help Boon steal his grandfather's car wasn't an easy one and it is the beginning of Lucius losing his childhood innocence. The sole concept of having to make decisions for himself is new and scary. On his adventure with Boon and Ned, despite the adults trying to shield him, Lucius learns the things about life not appropriate for an eleven year old child like prostitution, gambling etc. But despite this, Lucius seems more mature for his age than one could expect.
"Maybe yesterday, while I was still a child, but not now. I knew too much, had seen too much. I was a child no longer now; innocence and childhood were forever lost, forever gone from me."
Virtue vs. Non-virtue
Throughout the novel Lucius struggles with the concept of Virtue and what he calls Non-virtue. Virtue comes from his obedience to parents, from his religious beliefs, opposite of what he decided to do with Boon. To Non-virtue belongs lying, manipulating, selling his soul to Satan-everything Lucius is doing and what eats at his consciousness. Lucius compares Virtue to Non-virtue by saying that Virtue is less rewarding than Non-virtue which offers sin and pleasure and endless imagination-people can only hope to be as little soiled as possible by the temptation of Non-virtue. It's interesting and ironic that on their travel the traveling trio has to go through a place called Hell Creek. They barely pass through it and Lucius feels that now they've completely given into Non-virtue-the true temptation is ahead of them.
