how do the characters and setting in morries gleitzmans boy overboard help the reader to understand theme and issues
In the novel Boy Overboard by Morris Gleitzman, it teaches the reader about how some governments have a very inhuman nature towards their people. This novel is through first person point of view and it gives us a new perspective towards
Afghanistan and third world countries as people have to go to extreme lengths to survive and no one is treated fairly or equally.
The characters of Jamal and Bibi give the reader much greater understanding within the story as when they were smuggled in the boat trying to get to Australia.
Jamal and Bibi struggle to survive on the boat whilst meeting different characters within the journey. They are influenced in many ways which brings a different perspective and understanding to the readers eyes through the cruelty of the
Afghanistan government. This is shown on page 130, ‘For the Millionth time since we set sail, i remind myself why we’re doing this. Freezing on a hard deck all night. Roasting all day. Watching poor little children and old people suffer even more than us. Australia. Nice people. A kind government.”
This shows how Jamal and Bibi long to go to Australia and gives the reader understanding to the life of a 3rd world country citizen.
The setting of Afghanistan creates a brief and vivid imagination about what it would be like for us Australians to live in a 3rd world country as we see this through Jamal’s perspective. Jamal and his family struggle as his mother is a teacher which is illegal in Afghanistan and eventually the government find out and punish them by blowing up their house and such. This is shown on page 63,
“They can't. The government can't do this they can’t kill people for being teachers. ‘Mum,’ whimpers Bibi.”
This proves how strict, unfair and cruel the Afghanistan government is as they punish they’re people for being teachers through death.