The Fat BoyBy Owen Marshall

Plot

Owen Marshall's "The Fat Boy" is based around the main character of an anonymous school boy. He mysteriously appears in a small rural New Zealand township. He begins to be noticed by various townsfolk conveniently when a crime has or is about to occur.

The 'fat boy' as he is called by the locals, is blamed for these crimes.There is no proof but it is assumed that because he is an outsider to the town he must be responsible.

A vigilante group is organized which sets out to get rid of the fat boy and save the town from his 'evil ways'. They find him and beat him to death. The fat boy's body disappears however and cannot be found.

Readers are left pondering whether the fat boy was real, and if not who was he?

What are the crimes the Fat Boy is accused of?

• Stealing seventeen thousand dollars worth of railway property

• Burning down McNulty’s Warehouse• Murdering Mrs Denzil and stealing her

Victorian Cameo brooch and tinned food.• Forcing Nigel Lammerton to beat his wife.• Raping Melanie Lamb

Did the Fat Boy commit any of these crimes?

No

Then who did?

• Railway property - railway workers

• McNulty’s Warehouse - McNulty

• Mrs Denzil - Unknown

• Beating Mrs Lammerton - Nigel Lammerton

• Raping Melanie Lamb- Music teacher

Why do they blame The Fat Boy?

• The fat boy also symbolizes ‘outsiders’. He is used as a ‘scapegoat’ by the town’s people who blame all the crimes on him because he is an outsider. This use of symbolism helps show the theme of small town mentalities.

Kash - What was the most common word in this story?

FAT

• In this story Owen Marshall keeps repeating the word FAT. Fat has negative associations. It makes people dislike him. He is evil because he is so gross and fat.

Outsider

• The Fat Boy is new to town. No one knows him and therefore he is an easy target.

• The Fat Boy is not one of them. He is different.

Corruption

• The townspeople are not to blame. Even when they are caught, like Nigel Lammerton, it was outside influences that caused them to act this way.

Do you notice any similarities between this and what

happened in Mississippi Burning?