Nowhere Boy Study Guide

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Study guide

Nowhere boy

by katherine marsh

Cultural Impacts

Character Analysis

Review of Literary Elements

Literary Elements in Nowhere Boy

What is Theme?

Historical Inspiration

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Cultural Impact

Max and Ahmed’s friendship emphasizes empathy across cultural differences

Their friendship grows despite language barriers, religious differences, and societal expectations.

In turn, Ahmed learns to trust Max, despite his initial wariness due to the trauma of his past. Their bond demonstrates that understanding and kindness can overcome prejudice, ultimately allowing them to help each other in profound ways.

Max, a privileged American boy, initially struggles to understand Ahmed’s experiences as a refugee, but as they spend more time together, he learns to see the world through Ahmed’s perspective.

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Identifying the Theme

Click here for my favorite video explaining themes.

The theme is the universal idea, lesson, or message of the story. It's not the main idea.To explain the theme you gave as an answer, you'll need to go back through the text and find something specific that backs up your answer.

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Literary Elements in Nowhere Boy

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HISTORICAL Inspiration

Albert Jonnart and Ralph Mayer

The story of Ralph Mayer and Albert Jonnart shows how bravery and compassion can save lives.

Background

Novel

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Suspense

Conflict

• Creating relatable characters.
• Withholding details.
• Using limited point of view.
• Using suspenseful settings.
• Employing cliffhangers.

Internal Conflict: Person vs. Self (e.g., moral dilemmas).External Conflict:

• Person vs. Person: A physical or ideological struggle.

• Person vs. Nature: Struggles against natural forces.

• Person vs. Society: Struggles against societal norms or laws.

Types of Point of View (POV)

First-Person: Narrator is the main character. Third-Person Omniscient: All-knowing narrator. Third-Person Limited: Focuses on one character’s perspective.

This historical act of selflessness resonates deeply with Max and Ahmed’s story in Nowhere Boy, as Max chooses to protect Ahmed, a refugee, despite the risks. Their journey mirrors the bravery of those who stood against injustice, emphasizing the importance of kindness and sacrifice in times of crisis.

Setting

Plot Elements

• Exposition: Introduces setting and characters.
• Inciting Incident: Introduces the main conflict.
• Rising Actions: Events that build tension leading up to the climax.
• Climax: The turning point of the story.
• Falling Action: Events that unfold after the climax.
• Resolution: The final outcome of the story.

• Backdrop Setting: The story could take place anywhere.
• Integral Setting: Setting influences the theme, characters, and actions.

Themes in Nowhere Boy

• True courage emerges when people put aside their differences to help each other.
• Friendship and kindness can cross any border.
• Family can be anyone who supports and protects you during hard times.

Symbols in Nowhere Boy

• Orchids: growth and hope
• The Cellar: hiding and survival
• Lightbulb: a symbol of hope and a way forward
• Ahmed’s Photo of His Family: connection to his past
• Ahmed’s Watch: time, waiting, and resilience

Suspense

• Constant risk of Ahmed being discovered.
• Challenges Max faces in hiding Ahmed.

Conflicts

Internal Conflict:

• Person v. Self: Max's decision to not reveal Ahmed to his family
• "By the time Max tiptoed upstairs past his parents’ room, he had made up his mind." (p.77)

External Conflict:

• Person vs. Person: "There are terror attacks happening in Paris." (p.99)

• Person vs. Nature: Baba being washed out to sea (Chapter 1)

• Person vs. Society: Madame Pauline and Inspector Fontaine's opinions on refugees and the Islamic faith (Chapter 20)

Created by setting, imagery, and word choice

Mood:

Determined by word choice and sentence structure (informal vs. formal)

Style:

During World War II, Albert Jonnart risked his own life to hide and protect Ralph Mayer, a Jewish boy, from Nazi persecution. Despite the immense danger, Jonnart demonstrated unwavering courage by defying the oppressive regime and offering shelter to someone in need.

Mood

Style

Suspenseful and tense, yet hopeful. Hopeful Mood Example: "Then Max had written Ahmed’s story—the story of a boy who lived in a wine cellar, who saved orchids, who just wanted to go to school." (p.350)

Word choice helps create the suspenseful and tense mood through this metaphor: "He had become a ghost himself, wandering the night..." (p.256)

Setting

Plot Elements

• Belgium, specifically Brussels
• Integral Setting: This setting plays a crucial role in the plot, as it provides the backdrop for Ahmed’s refugee experience and Max’s growth.

• Exposition: Max and Ahmed getting used to their new homes.
• Inciting Incident: Ahmed ending up in Max's cellar.
• Rising Action(s): Events after Max and Ahmed meet to Max discovering Ahmed's father.
• Climax: "His father is searching for him." (p.264)
• Falling Action(s): Events that occur in Hungary
• Resolution: Ahmed and Baba being granted asylum in the United States.

Third Person Limited POV

Nowhere Boy alternates between Max and Ahmed's POVs from chapter to chapter Max: "By the time Max tiptoed upstairs past his parents’ room, he had made up his mind." (p.77) Ahmed: "As soon as the boy went upstairs, he would leave." (p.78)

Theme

• The message or moral of a story.
• Found by identifying the story’s subject/topiv (e.g., power, guilt, perseverance).
• Universal
• There can be more than one theme

Characterization

• Direct Characterization: Traits are stated explicitly.
• Indirect Characterization: Traits inferred from actions, dialogue, and thoughts.

Types of Characters

• Dynamic Characters: Change throughout the story.
• Static Characters: Remain the same.
• Round Characters: Complex and realistic.
• Flat Characters: Simple and one-dimensional.

Symbolism

Objects, characters, or actions that represent bigger ideas. Identifying symbols: look for descriptions, repetition, connections, and common symbolic objects.