The Boy

The Boy and His Family Relationships In a sort of short story style, Marie Howe illustrates a depleting family relationship between a father and his children in the poem, “The Boy,” through its many symbols. With no discernible rhyme scheme, the plot develops, climaxes, and concludes alluding to a short story but in poetic form. The speaker, discovered through clues within the poem, is the younger sister of the boy and she is listening and learning from the examples set by her brothers.

There is no mention of a mother so the focus is kept on the relationship between the father and children. Opening the poem is a description of the setting and it begins to set up the solemn tone: “My older brother is walking down the sidewalk into the suburban summer night” (1-2). The term “sidewalk” begins its symbolic meaning in this first line and the suburban setting indicates they are a middle-class family. “The Boy” is taking place during the summer months when school is out of session when children have fewer restrictions and more free time.

Following is the description of the boy, an ordinarily dressed child, which denotes his normalness, and the direction in which he is walking: “white T-shirt, blue jeans – to the field at the end of the street” (3). Lines 4-6 exudes symbolism in many ways: “Hangars Hideout the boys called it, an undeveloped plot, a pit overgrown with weeds, some old furniture down there” (4-6). The name of the hangout has negative connotations, as if junkies and street trash “hideout” there to escape the wrath of normal day-to-day life. Underdeveloped plot” symbolizes the youth of those that hideout there, perhaps of puberty age, and “overgrown with weeds” expresses that some of them have outgrown the hideout (4-6).

Lines 4-6 are also used as a method of foreshadowing the action that comes later. With the addition of “some old furniture,” another negative connotation of the hangout is implied as trashy and disorderly, but conveys this hideout as a home like atmosphere. The inspiration for the name “Hangars Hideout” is exhibited by the hideout’s makeshift wind chimes: “and some metal hangars clinking in the trees like wind chimes” (7).

The decoration also embodies a home like atmosphere. The foreshadowing from previous lines is illustrated when the speaker uncovers the reason for the brother venturing here: “He’s running away from home because our father wants to cut his hair” (8). The brother probably has matured out of his current activities. This one line discloses a plethora of information about the father. Obviously, the father desperately wants his son to be a well-groomed young man, not an “overgrown weed” and “underdeveloped” boy as foreshadowed in lines 4-6.

The cutting of the hair symbolizes the crossing of the threshold between boyhood and manhood. The father’s desperateness is demonstrated by asking the sister to convince the boy to return: “And in two more days our father will convince me to go to him – you know where he is – and talk to him” (9-10). He understands the younger sister knows where the hideout is and, using parental tools, makes the promise the brother will not receive punishment for his bad deed: “No reprisals. He promised” (10).

The sister agrees and is accompanied by an entourage of younger children, symbolically reinforcing the idea of transitioning into manhood by describing their voices to newly hatched baby birds in spring, as if to say they haven’t matured yet: “A small parade of kids in feet pajamas will accompany me, their voices like the first peepers in spring” (10-13). The dress of the children is significant because only small children wear pajamas with feet, not maturing men, another symbol used to convey age.

Although the father said no punishment would be given, the boy knows this is a lie as he walks alone and ahead of the others: “And my brother will walk ahead of us home” (14). Although a haircut is not harsh punishment for running away, it is harsh enough for the boy to go mute: “and my father will shave his head bald, and my brother will not speak to anyone the next month, not a word, not pass the milk, nothing” (14-16). The silence indicates the emptiness and desolation within this kinship. It also expresses the rebelliousness against the father for forcing him to cross the threshold, perhaps when he is not yet ready.

The poem concludes by further describing the hollowness within the family structure: “What happened in our house taught my brothers how to leave, how to walk down a sidewalk without looking back” (17-18). From these lines, it is implied that many of the other siblings have left due to the father’s strict discipline. The symbolism of “sidewalk” here is clearly defined as the path of life. The girl learns a lesson through these repeated events taking place in her home life – the discipline of the father having pushed his sons away – and solidifies the gender differences in the father’s child rearing: “I was the girl.

What happened taught me to follow him, whoever he was, calling and calling his name” (19-20). She learns to follow her brothers’ path and to live her own life, free from the restrictions of her father. It is evident she does not know her siblings well, but trusts they have made the right decision by leaving. Marie Howe tears open a household epitomizing the hollowness and emptiness contained within. By using a poetic form but utilizing the ideals of short story writing, “The Boy,” displays the desolation in this particular family successfully through its many uses of symbolism.