'Discuss Nick Hornby s presentation of Marcus in chapters 1-10 of ‘About a Boy’ Essay\r'

'Nick Hornby’s novel, ‘Ab turn out a boy’ is a story most dickens boys. A 12 year old, named Marcus, who has a dangerous m early(a). And a 36 year old child- worry-man called fix out Freeman. provide, has never worked in his life sentence, he was been living of the royalties of a song that his father had wrote for Christmas, over 70 old age ago. Marcus is in truth much a ‘ mammary glandmy’s boy.’ He is so close to his mformer(a) that his examine in music and clothes atomic number 18 identical. When he starts his young civilize, he realises that he is an easy prey for bullies as his hair is cut ‘dodgy’ by his mute and he has a tendency to blab out aloud in class….\r\nWhen we gather Marcus in chapter matchless, we notice a naive teenager. On the very(prenominal) first page of the book, Marcus’ mum Fiona suffers from a dislodge up. â€Å"Have you spilt up now?” This very cite shows the naivete of Marcus. This childish questions, suggest that Marcus has not genuine any level of maturity and has no pith of comforting his m otherwise. However, with this in mind, Marcus has a very crystalline way of deliberateing, and there be there are two valid reasons for this bold statement. When we do crack the break up incident, Marcus realises that when commonwealth begin to do things together (well-nigh give care a family) they should gel and bear on together.\r\nâ€Å"He’d once shared a toilet with Roger, when they were both busting for a pee aft(prenominal) a car journey. You’d think that if you’d peed with someone you ought to keep in touch with them somehow.” This transparent thinking by Marcus suggest that he had belief about future with his mum and Roger, and that Roger would stay because of the family kind that they all shared. The second reason why I believe he has a logical procedure is the pizza pie incident happens. When the break up origin began, they had serious orders three pizzas. As we know Marcus and Fiona are ‘vegetarians’, just Roger wasn’t, so one of the pizza contained peperoni. â€Å"We’ll stick out it away then?” Fiona suggests, but Marcus existence Marcus, he promotes that they should â€Å"Pick the peperoni off.”\r\nThis suggests that instead of throwing away a utterly good pizza, Marcus thinks that they can button up eat the pizza without the peperoni topping. Although Marcus is still very naive, we see a very diverse side of Marcus on the very yesteryear page of chapter 1. He is very protective of his mum. When they bind fished eating and arguing, Marcus finds the TV remote and â€Å"Zapped through the channels. He didn’t want to watch any of the soaps, because soaps were secure of trouble, and he was worried that the trouble in the soaps would cue his mum of the trouble she had in her own life.” This summon suggests that becau se of his mother’s break up’s and troubles, he did not want the TV reminding her of anything, which authentically shows how protective he is over his mother.\r\nMarcus has just travel house, which unfortunately connotes he starts a new develop. In the first some chapters, we see life for Marcus in school, and it wasn’t going to be easy. He is different from his peers. There snips in the book, which rightfully shows how apart he is from everyone. Firstly, he arrives for school. EARLY. non a typical act from a teenager. â€Å"He got to school early, went to the form room, sat down at his desk.” This is one of vey first examples, of why he is very different.\r\nNot many teenagers would willingly want to come to school early. The way he dresses, and the way he looks is some other issue. â€Å"He was usually wearing the wrong position or the wrong trousers, and his haircut was wrong all the time.” This would mean that he would be an easy target for bullies. However, bruise is still to come. â€Å"A song had slipped out yesterday during English.” When he had an English lesson, Marcus unexpectedly sang a song whilst the teacher was analyseing. As a kid, this unfeignedly ‘sealed the deal’ for Marcus.\r\nLuckily, Marcus had found a few friends who were also outsiders like him. They were Nicky and Mark. Marcus meet them by an later school computer club. However, their alliance with each other was very timid. â€Å"He was being left out deliberately” Marcus was waiting his turn on the Gameboy, at this point in the book. Although he hasn’t through with(p) anything wrong, he was still singled out.\r\nSuddenly, things to a turn for the worse for their relationship. At lunchtime, a few bullies, who had been tormenting Marcus before, came up to Marcus and his friends, and began wound them. When they had gone, Mark spoke out and said. â€Å"Marcus, we don’t want you hanging around wit h us anymore.” This ball over Marcus. He knew that if they were to hang out with him, they would all get bullied. These so called ‘friends’ that Marcus had, had been unsupportive and nothing like Marcus. This shows how different Marcus really is; he cannot fit in with people who are so similar to him.\r\nAs tolerate mentioned before, Marcus is overprotective over his mum, because of their closeness and the strong relationship they be in possession of. In the fifth chapter, we see Marcus worrying about his mother. This is caused by the constant emit habit his milliampere has developed. This had frightened him. â€Å"One Monday morning his mother started instant before breakfast, and it frightened him.” In this scenario in the book, Marcus understands that his mum is going through a tough time but he does not know what to submit or do. â€Å"He didn’t know what to say.”\r\nSo instead, when we went for his weekly shop, he stuck to the â₠¬Ëœeconomy sized packets of cereal, because he knew that is he had brought banded name, then his mum would be angry. This again shows how protective he is over his mum. With this in mind, he had realised that there was â€Å"an advantage of her sinful depression.” Without her knowing he bought the branded ‘Coco-Pops.” This shows that he was still taking advantage out of his mother’s sadness.\r\nIn the final few page of chapter 7 we see an intense minute of arc between Marcus and Fiona. Marcus last confronts Fiona about her constant depression and the feature the she hasn’t been looking aft(prenominal) him. â€Å"All you do is energise my meals and I could do that. The rest of the time you just cry. That’s… that’s no good. That’s no good to me.” This shows that Fiona does not know how to look after a child. However, Marcus does not help or subside the matter; instead he heads off to his room. â€Å"He went ups tairs to his room and played NBA Basketball with the earphones on.” This shows a level of immaturity and a certain want of social skill. Fiona claims that â€Å"we’re not doing each other any good” to Marcus. This again is more examine to prove that Fiona simply cannot look after Marcus.\r\nWhen we see depart in chapter eight, he describes Marcus as being â€Å"the weird kid.” Will thinks this about Marcus because of the way he acts. For example, when they were at the back of a car together, Marcus began ‘ hum tunelessly’. This would not be a practice act performed by a teenager, and this led Will into believing he is strange. There is more prove for Will to believe Marcus is weird. â€Å"‘You know Michael Jackson, right? He makes a million pounds a minute,’ said the weird kid.” When Marcus said this, Will survey he was qualification things up, which again led Will to believing he is weird.\r\nAt the park, Marcus ac cidently killed a duck in the lake. In this part of the book, Marcus changes his mind about Will in a matter of minutes, from despising him, and then realising that he was one his side. â€Å"Who did this Will think he was?” Will was trying to be sarcastic about the matter, but Marcus, did not find it funny. Then, all of a sudden â€Å"Marcus looked up at him; maybe he didn’t hate him after all.” Will then make the incident look like it had affected them in front of the park-keeper. Marcus had changed his view about him, in a flash, without him doing anything. All of this suggests that Marcus has mixed opinions on will, on moment he is the hero, and the next he is just a stranger,\r\nIn chapter nine, we sadly see a suicide attempt from Fiona. The events leading up to this moment, is very intense. On the day of the suicide attempt, Marcus is at Regent greens for a picnic with Suzie and Will. Whilst Will and Suzie were talking, Marcus was feeding the ducks, with lounge around hard bread that Fiona had made, he had then accidently propel the whole loaf in to the lake and a killed a duck. Hence the ‘Dead duck day.’ All of a sudden Marcus could see Fiona across the lake waving and dexterous at him, he turned around to secure Suzie but when he looked back she was gone. â€Å"It was then that Marcus saw-or thought he saw-his mum.\r\nShe was standing in front of them, blocking the path, and she was smiling. He waved and turned around to tell Suzie that she’d turned up, but when he looked back his mum wasn’t there.” This part of the book is based on symbolism. I think it represents symbolism because there is a link between what happened with the Dead duck and the fact that she was there, meant that it was a way of saying bye to Marcus. It was almost like a premonition for Marcus, that something was about to happen. â€Å"A new part of his life began, bang, without any pattern at all.” When I saw this part in the book, it really surprised me. I wasn’t aware(predicate) of how Fiona was so depressed, that caused her to a terrible act like this. As a reader, I would say that Fiona’s depressions was only recognised as just her crying most the time, I was not sure she would have gone to that greater length, and commit suicide.\r\nIt is obvious that Marcus was fit hard by the fact that his mother had perpetrate suicide. At the end of chapter nine, it reads â€Å"he knew the moment he walked in that it was something he’d have to think about forever.” At this point in the book, we see Marcus’ character really open out. This continues as we read on.\r\nWhen they reach the hospital, Marcus is in the waiting room, reflecting on other people troubles and compares this to his mum. â€Å"My mum’s not like these people. Supposing they think she is, though?” he believes that the hospital expertness treat her as being just a normal druggy.\r\n '