Themes

The main themes of the short story “Smile” by Roddy Doyle are bullying and loss of innocence. The theme of bullying is explored through the motif of violence, while the theme of loss of innocence is enhanced by motifs like homosexuality and smiling. The message of the story is that our actions hurt others, as the narrator was hurt by Brother Murphy's comment, by being bullied, and he hurt Brother Murphy through his defiant smile at the end. The author also shows how growing up can often come as a result of negative events such as being exposed to violence and death.

Bullying

The theme of bullying is explored through the characters of the schoolboys. The narrator is a first-year student in secondary school and he and his other friends rapidly become the target of bullying because they are the youngest. However, having others to share this burden makes it easier for the narrator to endure bullying, being picked on and mocked.

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Loss of innocence

The theme of loss of innocence is explored through the development of Victor, the narrator. When he starts secondary school, Victor is still naïve and innocent. But being bullied as a freshman and then because others think that he is a homosexual takes away this innocence. At first, Victor is also naïve about Brother Murphy’s attitude. When the teacher smiles at him during the first day he does not know that his smile is one of desire.

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