60 pages • 2 hours read
Chris Tebbetts, James Patterson, Illustr. Laura ParkMiddle School, The Worst Years of My Life
Fiction | Graphic Novel/Book | Middle Grade | Published in 2011A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Fantasies of Medieval Struggle
Rafe expresses many fantasies with accompanying drawings: drawing himself as an iconic rebel, driving Jeanne in a Lexus SUV, or enjoying his bedroom as a “kid cave,” chock-full of snacks and electronics. The one fantasy to which Rafe continually returns, however, is a medieval struggle pitting the forces of good and evil against one another. These images have certain common features. For instance, Rafe portrays the old HVMS school building as a dungeon or a walled fortress. He depicts other school children as prisoners, sometimes chained to the wall or marching sadly behind barred windows. He transforms teachers and administrators into mythological beasts, trained interrogators, or sly monsters like the lizard king.
In these drawings, Rafe often depicts himself as a victim among other victims. Sometimes, as in the mural he creates near the end of the narrative, he portrays himself as larger than life in the armor of a knight, attacking the school to free the entrapped children while destroying copies of the code of conduct. What is consistent throughout these medieval fantasies is that Rafe perceives himself as noble, someone fighting for the good of others against overwhelming forces of evil. Thus, a key question regarding Rafe’s future is whether the adults viewing the images he creates can decipher Rafe’s noble intentions in the face of his misbehavior.
Negative, Positive, and Missing Nicknames
Many characters receive descriptive nicknames from Rafe. Each nickname reveals Rafe’s judgment about their peculiarities and worthiness. The majority of nicknames are either unflattering or negative. Carl, his mother’s hulking fiancé, who hibernates year-round on the sofa in front of the television, becomes Bear. A sixth-grade bully acquires the name Miller the Killer, though Rafe mockingly confers an alternate moniker, “Miller the Chicken Killer.” Mrs. Donatello, with her penchant for putting Rafe in detention, becomes the Dragon Lady. Rafe occasionally grants positive nicknames to a character, as when he introduces his imaginary friend as Leo the Silent. Especially in images of himself, Rafe’s self-references tend to be negative, as when he draws himself as cowering before Miller with the label “dead meat.” When Jeanne turns down his invitation to eat pizza just before Thanksgiving, he calls himself a “turkey.”
Because so many of the characters receive nicknames from Rafe, it is interesting to note that several key people did not. While he refers to his sister as “pukey” and a “time bomb,” Rafe never gives Georgia a nickname. Neither does he give his mother or Jeanne a nickname. Other women, notably Ida “P for pain” Stricker and Mrs. Donatello get Rafe’s nickname treatment. Readers may perceive that Rafe’s close emotional ties to Georgia, Jules, and Jeanne hinder him from saddling them with nicknames.
The Virtuous Woman
There are many occasions in the narrative when Rafe appears to become his own worst enemy. When administrators and teachers reach out to him with concern about his behavior and grades, Rafe invariably responds by avoiding these would-be helpers and the problems he has created as long as possible. There are characters in the story who appear to be antagonistic to Rafe, particularly Miller and Bear. All of these individuals are male.
Several characters intentionally step forward to help Rafe, tending to appear when he most needs someone to rescue him. All these individuals are female, suggesting that “the virtuous woman” is a constant motif. Jeanne finds this boy, who possesses so much creative potential—yet who intentionally misbehaves—intriguing. Though she does not feel affection but rather concern for him, Jeanne strives to stay connected with Rafe, even following him into the boys’ room to continue a conversation about options, which results in her first detention. The English teacher Donatello reveals insight into Rafe’s underlying potential and his unaddressed emotional needs. She is persistent and resourceful in her efforts to find ways to open Rafe to trust. Despite no breakthrough in Rafe’s attitude, Donatello willingly interrupts an administrative meeting to advocate for an alternative educational path for Rafe. The final virtuous woman is Jules. Weighed down with unshared family burdens, confounded by Rafe at every turn, and confronted by a fiancé she struggles to love, Jules must rise above many concerns, heartaches, and counter inclinations to maintain an open mind. When other parents might have given up on Rafe based on his behavior and attitude, Jules is unrelenting in seeking the best alternative for his education and well-being. For Rafe, the virtuous women repeatedly save the day.
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