Theme

THEMES__**
 * __[[image:monk.jpg align="right"]]
 * Small town mentalities and attitudes
 * Importance of conscience, accepting responsibility for your actions
 * Growing immorality in small towns, lack of moral values

The main themes in this short story involve highlighting the small town mentalities of many small rural New Zealand towns. Marshall shows how people in small towns can often be judgemental, particularly of outsiders. They do not take blame on themselves for crimes in the community but rather accuse outsiders because they are different or unknown.

He also shows the growing lack of moral values in society. People are becoming increasingly corrupted and acting in immoral ways. Crime rates are rising along with peoples dishonesty and care about others in their communities.

Marshall also portrays how important it is for people to take responsibility for their actions. He shows how that unless this problem is addressed the situation in small towns is only going to degenerate further. If people do not reject their immoral ways, more innocent people will get hurt.

The idea of small town prejudice which exists in New Zealand society is the main message Marshall is trying to convey to readers. He also shows that conscience, moral values, and responsibility for ones actions are crucial elements in life which all in society should strive to live up to.


 * __TECHNIQUES USED TO SHOW THEME__**
 * Contrast
 * Symbolism
 * Setting
 * Twist/Structure
 * Dialogue

Contrast between the towns people who are committing crimes and the fat boy helps portray the theme of immoral verses immoral actions. The fat boy is an extremely moral or religious figure in the story and contrasts with those who commit crimes and are ‘sinners’.
 * __Contrast__**

Contrast is also used between the IHC children, the new worker at McNulty’s and the rest of the townspeople. The IHC children and the new girl at McNulty’s see the fat boy as a positive and protective figure. They may even see his appearance differently. They represent innocence and ‘outsiders’ who have not yet been corrupted by small town mentalities. The rest of the town is corrupted however and so resent the fat boy’s presence in the town. They see him as an ugly unattractive person and help show how small towns often judge outsiders unfairly -> Small town mentalities

Symbolism is used in a number of ways to show theme. Firstly the fat boy is a religious figure whose fate resembles that of Jesus. His presence in the town is to remind the townspeople of their immoral actions and try to help ‘save’ the innocent people in the town from being hurt. This shows the theme of the importance of moral values and taking responsibility for your actions. Religious symbolism helps show this by highlighting the fact that the townspeople have lost their way and have reverted to living lives of sin.
 * __Symbolism__**

Symbolism of ‘Melanie Lamb’ (innocent sacrifice) helps show the theme of how when people live immorally innocent people suffer ->importance of moral values

Symbolism of the fat boy again is used to highlight the idea of ‘conscience’. He acts as the townspeople’s conscience which is why he appears at or before each crime is committed. This use of symbolism helps show again the theme of the importance of moral values and taking responsibility for your actions

The fat boy also symbolises ‘outsiders’. He is used as a ‘scapegoat’ by the town’s people who blame all the crimes on him because he is an outsider. This use of symbolism helps show the theme of small town mentalities.

The setting helps show the theme of small town mentalities. It does this as it is set in a small rural NZ town. This is shown through techniques such as using NZ jargon. Theme is shown as New Zealanders can relate to the fact that the story is set in a recognisable environment which they can connect with.
 * __Setting__**

The twist at the end of the story is when the fat boy’s body disappears. This twist is effective as it helps build suspense and tension. It leaves the reader thinking about whether the fat boy was actually real and if not who was he? This helps show the theme of the importance of having ‘conscience’. The readers are eventually supposed to conclude that the fat boy was not real, he was a symbolic figure who was acting as the townspeople’s conscience. Readers then reflect on their own actions. Do they listen to their own conscience or ignore it.
 * __Twist/Structure__**

Dialogue also shows the importance of ‘conscience’ and moral values. At the end the story it finishes with “life would be immeasurably better with the fat boy gone”. This line is meant to be interpreted as the opposite. Life will not be better as the townspeople have not taken responsibility for their actions. They did not listen to their conscience (the fat boy) and life for them will not be any different. The crimes will still occur as they are the ones committing them.
 * __Dialogue__**

//**__QUOTES:__**

"and nobody likes a fat boy watching them you know" (conscience) "the fat boy had the knack of being where he was least desired" (conscience) "life would be immeasurably better for all of them with the fat boy gone" (small town mentality/responsibility for own actions)


 * look under categories for specicific supporting quotes**//