Communicating clearly is difficult for our young hero, Victor, in Paperboy. Because of his stutter, Victor has a hard time talking to people without feeling horribly self-conscious. This is why he's telling his story using the written word. Victor is super ashamed of his stuttering problem throughout the book, but by the end he learns to accept that he just communicate differently than other people—not worse. What he says is still valid and important; it's just that he can't say it as easily or quickly as his peers. He has to slow down—and that's totally okay.
Questions About Language and Communication
- How does Victor's self-consciousness about his stuttering affect the way that he interacts with other people? How does this change over the course of Paperboy?
- How is writing out a story different from telling it through the spoken word? How is it the same?
- What is it about the way that Mr. Spiro talks that draws Victor to him? Compare their relationship to words.
- How is Mam's speech different than Victor's? Why do you think that is? What effect does this have on your reading?
Chew on This
When Victor sees TV Boy using sign language, he realizes that there are many ways that people communicate and all of them are correct and valid.
Victor thinks his stutter is what holds him back socially, but he comes to recognize that his self-consciousness is what actually keeps him from meeting strangers and making new friends. Once he gets over that, people will accept him regardless of the way that he talks.