OVERALL+THEMES+OF+THE+STORY

__ COMING OF AGE: __ After the boy steals the watermelon, he feels guilt and shame for doing so. We then see the coming of age when he owns up to his mistake and confronts the formidable Mr. Wills. In this the boy learns that the actions he commits might have impact others negatively and have serious consequences. This thought process shows the growing maturity in the 16 year old boy, and is responsible for his coming of age. The phrase ‘I’ll help you plant them, Mr. Wills, I’ll work very hard’ shows how he’s willing to pay the price and that he has learnt his mistake and that he has grown from an impulsive teenager to a thoughtful young adult. At First one can see that the boy is seen to be a fun – loving teenager. His actions such as the swimming in the river at night and stealing watermelons just to prove himself to his friends show him to be a reckless teenager however when he begins to realize the situation and understands it from not only his perspective but also that of others, he understands that he has hurt someone and instead of blatantly denying what he did, he musters enough courage to go and confront the intimidating Mr. Will and apologize for stealing his prize possession. This shows the development of maturity in him.

__  MORALITY   __  After realising that Mr. Wills was possessive about his watermelon for his family and not for personal gain, induces a sense of guilt in the narrator, who's conscience doesnt allow him to ‘sleep that night.’ This shows the narrator’s moral conscience and his gradual maturity: he owns up to his crimes and makes an effort to make amends. This ties in with the immaturity of the protagonist and his reckless actions that are performed at his young age, ‘out of pride and out of being sixteen years old’. This theme helps in showing that the actions committed by adolescence are usually enforced by peer pressure and children do not mean their actions. As a maturing individual, the narrator realizes that he has to take responsibility for his actions ('because I've got to')

__ APPEARANCE vs. REALITY __ Mr. Wills: Mr. Wills appears to be a very formidable man who is guarding the watermelon all for himself. He appears to be greedy and cold-hearted. At one point, we also see the young boy wondering whether Mr. Wills will shoot kill someone if they steal his watermelon. In reality however, Mr. Wills is quite a soft hearted man, who forgives the young boy for stealing the watermelon and willingly allows him to help plant the next year’s crop. He is guarding the seed melon for his ill wife, who wants to call the entire neighborhood to share the watermelon with them. Borden Deal wittily uses symbolism to portray the theme of appearance v/s reality in Mr. Will’s character. The fact that everyone assumes that the shotgun is loaded with double ought buckshot, symbolizes how everyone presumes him to be an intimidating and formidable character. However, the fact that the shotgun was loaded with salt symbolizes that Mr. Wills in reality was a kind hearted, forgiving person Mr. Wills projects this fearsome image so that people will stay away from his prize crops and thus without actually getting to understand him, people make assumptions about his character. “He had bright fierce eyes …looked down on you, you just withered” shows the boy’s impression of Mr. Wills. By this we see that the boy makes presumptions about people on the basis of their looks and not by their character. This also adds to his sense of immaturity The author uses this theme to make the reader understand that appearances can be deceiving and not to judge people by their appearances.

__ RITES OF PASSAGE __ The story also happens to deal with the idea of rites of passage. The rites of passage involves young boys completing a task of bravery and courage in their adolescence. Through this process they are officially recognized as men and no longer boys. The boy, in order to prove to his friends that he is in fact a man and not any longer a young boy, decides to steal Mr. Wills’s watermelon in broad moonlight despite the fact that it is rather risky. During that point of time, stealing watermelons was considered as sport 'a ritual of defiance and rebellion by young males'; stealing Mr. Wills’s prize melon would be considered an act of bravado. The boy, new to this town wanted to prove himself to his new friends and to gain their respect, in an attempt to fit in. The fact that the boy was still not completely a part of their “gang” is seen in the sentence, “I was still new; there were certain things and certain feelings where I was left out.”

__ BOYHOOD __ Another very evident theme is the portrayal of boyhood and friendship by the author. The diction such as “shucks” and “ain’t” suggests a casual and colloquial tone. Firstly, many of the events of the story are seen from a boy’s perspective. The stealing of the melon, swimming in moonlight, the crawling on the ground to steal the melon all relate to the theme of boyhood. The boys’ attraction towards Willadean also complements the theme of boyhood.

FAMILIAL LOVE AND BONDS  The theme of family and love is prevalent (p.316)where Mr. Wills talks about the ‘two plans’ he had for the melon, including giving it to his wife who ‘dearly loves the taste of melon’. Not only does this display his generous side, it also shows the consideration that the he holds for his family and presents him in a new light. This statement is what spurs the narrator to hide in shame.