Themes (Boys Don’t Cry)

This section explores the themes of the novel Boys Don’t Cry by Malorie Blackman. Malorie Blackman’s Boys Don’t Cry explores a range of relevant and relatable themes, including masculinity, family dynamics, teenage parenthood, and acceptance. The novel follows Dante, a seventeen-year-old unexpectedly faced with the responsibility of fatherhood, and his younger brother Adam, who is struggling with his identity and the social pressures surrounding it. Through these complex characters, Blackman confronts the reader with challenging questions about societal expectations, love, and personal growth.

Key Themes in Boys Don’t Cry

Masculinity and Emotional Expression

Theme Overview: Blackman addresses societal expectations around masculinity, particularly the idea that men should not display vulnerability or emotion. The title itself, Boys Don’t Cry, speaks to this theme by highlighting how young men are often pressured to suppress their feelings.

How It’s Explored: Dante feels the weight of expectations to be "strong" and "unemotional," especially as he faces the demands of unexpected fatherhood. His struggle to balance his own dreams with his new responsibilities forces him to confront his own perceptions of what it means to be a man.

Impact on Characters: Through Dante’s journey, Blackman shows that allowing oneself to be vulnerable and to care deeply for others does not diminish one’s masculinity but, rather, strengthens it. This theme is reinforced by Adam, who demonstrates that empathy and emotional openness are qualities to be valued, not hidden.

Teenage Parenthood and Responsibility

Theme Overview: The novel provides a realistic portrayal of teenage parenthood, challenging the stereotypes and social stigma often attached to young parents, particularly young fathers.

How It’s Explored: When Dante unexpectedly becomes a father, his life takes a dramatic turn. He is forced to confront his own immaturity, rethink his future, and take responsibility for another person’s life. This is a radical shift from his previous focus on university and personal ambitions.

Impact on Characters: Through Dante’s experiences, Blackman illustrates the personal growth that often accompanies parenthood. She also challenges society’s tendency to judge young parents harshly, portraying Dante as a young man determined to be a good father despite his fears and initial reluctance.

Family Dynamics and Support

Theme Overview: The novel examines the importance of family bonds and the ways in which family dynamics shape identity and self-worth. In particular, it highlights the power of a supportive family, especially in the face of hardship.

How It’s Explored: Dante, Adam, and their father form a non-traditional family unit that is, at times, strained but ultimately supportive. Dante’s father is a single parent who tries his best to support his children, despite his initial disappointment and confusion regarding their choices.

Impact on Characters: Dante and Adam’s father demonstrates the difficulties of single parenthood but also its rewards, reinforcing the theme that families can take many forms. Through their family dynamic, Blackman shows the importance of mutual respect, understanding, and forgiveness, even when relationships are complicated.

Identity and Acceptance

Theme Overview: Blackman addresses the theme of identity, particularly through Adam’s experiences as a young gay man dealing with homophobia and bullying. The novel highlights the struggles individuals face when their identity does not conform to societal expectations.

How It’s Explored: Adam’s journey in accepting himself and coping with the prejudices of others represents the broader struggle of LGBTQ+ individuals for acceptance, both within society and, at times, within their own families.

Impact on Characters: Adam’s resilience in the face of bullying and discrimination is both a source of strength and pain. Through Adam, Blackman explores how prejudice can isolate individuals and how self-acceptance and family support are crucial to overcoming such challenges. This theme of acceptance is also evident in Dante’s evolving acceptance of his own role as a young father.

Social Expectations and Judgement

Theme Overview: Boys Don’t Cry confronts the theme of social judgement, particularly the judgements society places on young fathers, single-parent families, and LGBTQ+ individuals.

How It’s Explored: Dante experiences judgement both from himself and others as he adjusts to life as a teenage parent. Similarly, Adam faces the judgement and ridicule of others for his sexuality.

Impact on Characters: These experiences force both characters to confront and eventually reject society’s assumptions. Blackman uses their stories to critique the pressure to conform to social expectations and to emphasise the importance of resilience in the face of judgement.

Forgiveness and Redemption

Theme Overview: Forgiveness is a significant theme in the novel, especially as characters come to terms with their own mistakes and those of others. This theme is closely tied to personal growth and healing.

How It’s Explored: Dante’s father initially struggles to accept Dante’s new reality as a teenage parent, but over time he forgives Dante’s perceived failings and supports him. Dante, too, must learn to forgive himself and accept the responsibilities of fatherhood rather than resenting them.

Impact on Characters: Forgiveness enables the characters to move forward. Blackman suggests that forgiving oneself and others is necessary for personal development and that redemption often follows difficult, introspective journeys.

Boys Don’t Cry presents readers with an insightful look at contemporary social issues and personal struggles. Through the experiences of Dante and Adam, Blackman explores themes of masculinity, responsibility, identity, and forgiveness. The novel ultimately advocates for empathy, understanding, and resilience, encouraging readers to think critically about the ways society views family, parenthood, and gender roles.