The Stone Boy (Themes)

Themes

Death

Death is one of the foremost themes in “The Stone Boy.” It is expressed literally in Eugie’s death, but this accident brings about a series of metaphoric deaths. For Arnold, Eugie’s death represents not only the physical loss of his brother but also of his male ideal. Eugie’s loss means that Arnold no longer has a role model upon which to base his own life. The death of Eugie means the death of the young man that Arnold would have become.

By the end of the story, Arnold undergoes a metaphoric death of his own. As he realizes that his family has no faith in him and seems only to want to shut him out, he withdraws, not simply from his family, but from humanity in general. In essence, by the end of the story, Arnold has lost his very soul. The theme also can be found in examination of the family itself; by the time the story concludes, the family truly no longer exists. Instead, each member functions apart from the others.

Failure

As a number of critics have pointed out, much of Berriault’s fiction centers on how humans fail one another. As Molly McQuade wrote in Chicago Tribune Book World, “Every so-called fault deforming a character seems to link up with another fault in someone else, complicating and completing the moral neighborhood they share.” In Arnold’s eyes, his family has failed him by refusing to forgive his reaction to Eugie’s death, however out of place they may feel it to have been. This failure is seen nowhere so clearly as when Arnold’s mother turns him away in his moment of need. In refusing to take on crucial parental roles — those of nurturer and teacher — she demonstrates a serious maternal failure. Conversely, in his family’s eyes, Arnold has failed in not reacting to Eugie’s death in a manner they find appropriate. This failure of the family to experience their grief and pain together will only perpetuate further miscommunication and alienation. Nor is the community guiltless in the tragedy. In accepting Andy’s analysis of Arnold’s action, which derive from the sheriff — an authority figure who stands outside of the community — the neighboring farmers who form the backbone of the community solidify Arnold’s isolation and reinforce the inability of the family members to help one another.

Identity

The theme of identity plays a crucial role in “The Stone Boy.” Arnold undergoes a drastic transformationin self-perception and identity based on the opinions of the people around him. At the beginning of the story, Arnold demonstrates his unease at being in any way superior to Eugie, even if this only manifests itself through his ability to wake up earlier than his brother. As the story unfolds, the reason for Arnold’s discomfort becomes clear; he sees and defines himself in comparison to Eugie. Arnold believes Eugie to be the ideal young man — tall, attractive, and fit; in contrast, Arnold is small for his age and has straight hair. He wonders if he will ever become like Eugie. Such a stunted self-image makes it impossible for Arnold to process these new feelings of superiority.

By the end of the story, Arnold has transformed himself into the “stone boy” referred to in the title. Yet, he does not do so because he feels himself unable to experience emotions and share feelings; he does so because he realizes that this is how his family now views him. Thus Arnold’s new identity is not self-imposed but placed upon him by the perceptions of others. Although Arnold accepts this identity, he does not embrace it; in fact, he even fears it. Yet, he is so accustomed to seeing himself through the eyes of others that he makes no effort to negate this identity and carve out a new one, an identity that feels comfortable to him and aptly reflects his interior self. Instead, Arnold will only become what others see in him.

Violence

In “The Stone Boy,” Berriault takes a brutal action and renders it, in her writing, in fairly mild terms. She likens Eugie in his death throes to a man climbing, and the only truly discomfiting detail in the scene is Arnold’s comparison of Eugie’s blood dripping from the bullet hole to a parasite. Despite this depiction, the hint of violence prevails throughout the story, even to the extent that some reviewers believed that Arnold willfully killed his brother; in essence, they have sided with the sheriff, not Arnold.

The theme of violence, however, is far more disquieting in its mere threat. As the sheriff pronounces judgment on Arnold, defining him as a cold-blooded, merciless monster, everyone present feels the chill of his words. The sheriff's next words prophesize a grim future for Arnold. When Uncle Andy wonders that the sheriff does not want to keep Arnold in custody, the sheriff answers, “Not now. . . . Maybe in a few years.” With these sentences, the sheriff foresees for Arnold a continuing future of violent actions against others.

Topics for Further Study

• The sheriff suggested only two possible explanations for Arnold’s behavior following the death of his brother. Do you think there are other possible explanations? What are they? Do you think Arnold’s actions demonstrate a psychological disability on Arnold’s part?
• In the 1990s, the rise of teen violence has alarmed many Americans. Investigate how teen violence has affected American society over the decades since the 1950s. Do you think teen violence has worsened? If so, what factors have attributed to this rise?
• The sheriff’s description of Arnold, as a person who “don’t feel nothing,” describes sociopaths. Investigate sociopathic behavior and then determine whether or not you believe Arnold to be a sociopath.
• The 1950s, when this story was written, is generally regarded as a period epitomized by happy families, economic prosperity, and strong moral values. How do you think typical readers of the 1950s and 1960s might have reacted to the story?
• Family farms in the United States have been on a decline for most of the 20th century. Conduct research on reasons for this decline and the effect it has had on farming families.