Themes and message

The main themes of the short story “Spoil the Child” by Howard Fast are the loss of innocence and growing up before age. By placing the events in the historical context of the post-Civil War years in America, the author also illustrates the hardships of Americans in search of a better living and the dangers of the time represented by wild animals, violent encounters with Indians and even the lack of water which could lead to death.

Loss of innocence

The theme of the loss of innocence is primarily illustrated through the protagonist, David, but also through his sister, Maude. Being always on the road has toughened the children who already got used to poor conditions such as little water or the dangers of wild prairie animals. Still, at the beginning of the short story, they are both still quite innocent. David acts like a naughty child, riding the mules and dreaming of going hunting with his father, although he fears the unknown of the prairie.

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Passage to manhood

The theme of growing up takes the form of passage to manhood in the short story, as the main character is a boy who ends up assuming the role of his father in the family after the man is killed.

Drawing a parallel between fairytale heroes and David might help you better understand this theme. In fairytales, to become heroes, characters are supposed to pass all sorts of challenges. In a similar way, David becomes a man after overcoming several realistic violent episodes.

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