When Victor first sees Mrs. Worthington in Paperboy, he's totally smitten with her—after all, she's a very good-looking woman. He thinks that she leads this awesome glamorous life, but soon he realizes that she has a whole world of problems resting on her shoulders. Even though he's just the paperboy and only sees her for minutes at a time each day, Victor comes to recognize that Mrs. Worthington drowns her sorrows in alcohol. She's constantly drinking in order to deal with the fact that she's stuck in a loveless marriage and is super unhappy with her life. Bummer.
Questions About Drugs and Alcohol
- How does Victor know that Mrs. Worthington's a drinker? What does he make of it? Does this change over time?
- Would you consider Mrs. Worthington an alcoholic? Why or why not?
- How does Mrs. Worthington's drinking affect her relationships?
- Why doesn't Victor wake Mrs. Worthington up when he finds her passed out? What does this tell you about Victor and his relationship to Mrs. Worthington's drinking?
Chew on This
When Victor first meets Mrs. Worthington, he's drawn to her beauty and glamour, but once he sees into her drinking problem, he just feels sorry for her and her lonesome life.
Through Mrs. Worthington's drinking, Victor gets to see firsthand how destructive alcohol and drugs can be—and why adults like Mam tell him to keep away from those substances.