Rumble Fish (novel)

Rumble Fish

Author	S. E. Hinton
Language	English
Genre	Young adult novel
Publisher	Delacorte Press
Publication date	1975
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages	122 pp
ISBN	ISBN 0440059194

Rumble Fish is a 1975 novel by S. E. Hinton. It centers on the relationship between the Motorcycle Boy, a revered former gang leader, and his younger brother, Rusty-James, who can neither live up to his brother's great reputation nor live it down. It is in the genre of young-adult fiction. An adaptation of the novel by Francis Ford Coppola, Rumble Fish, was released in 1983.

Characters

The Motorcycle Boy

Rusty-James

Steve

Cassandra

Themes

Worship

Because The Motorcycle Boy's reputation is so great, he once comments that it is, "A bit of a burden to be Robin Hood, Jesse James, and the Pied Piper." The Motorcycle Boy is well respected and "pretty famous in their part of the city." Rusty-James idolizes his brother, and wants to be like him, when Rusty-James gets older.

Alienation

While Rusty-James is a tough teen, he has a habit of getting attached to people. He is also afraid to be alone. It is later revealed that he was a toddler, his mother took The Motorcycle Boy (who was six at the time) and left. Their father went on a three-day drunk, leaving Rusty-James alone, in what apparently was a big house. This was when Rusty-James developed his fear. He seems to often worry that The Motorcycle Boy will leave him. He believes he loves The Motorcycle Boy, Patty, Steve (sort of), and his father (sort of). He is aware of the fact he cannot rely on any of them. In the end of them book, his father is proved worthless, The Motorcycle Boy is killed by a police officer, and Patty and Steve leave him. In the end, he is left alone and alienated.

The entire relationship between society and The Motorcycle Boy is one of alienation. He seems separated and distanced from them. According to him, this leads them to revere him, because, "Even the most primitive societies have innate respect for the insane," as he phrases it. Interestingly enough, the barriers between the surrounding world and The Motorcycle Boy are largely self-imposed by 19-year old. Even the barriers of deafness and color-blindness are self-imposed, he was not born with those disabilities and acquired them in motorcycle accidents, possibly purposely.

Gangs

While The Motorcycle Boy ended gang fights, some time before the story takes place, Rusty-James seems to be obsessed with the idea of it. According to the book, he was in the Little Leaguers, the Peewee branch of the local gang, the Packers, when he was eleven. However, gang fights ended, and according to Rusty-James, "dope ruined the gangs." Rusty-James tends to get upset when people disregard "The Rules," a systematic moral check point for teen fights, such as telling your opponent if there is going to be knives involved beforehand, or that fights have to start out with insults.

Substance Abuse

The protagonist's father, was once a lawyer. However, he became an alcoholic after his wife left him. The Motorcycle Boy, "hates junkies," and we are never told why. Rusty-James, also, is opposed to gang fights, because again, dope ruined the gangs." Weston McCauley, the closest thing The Motorcycle Boy had to a friend and former second litenant in the Packers (local gang), is a heroin addict. Cassandra, a girl, originally a student teacher, who "thought she was The Motorcycle Boy's girlfriend," also does heroin, although she claims she is not addicted. Both Rusty-James and The Motorcycle Boy were stopped asking for identification for buying liquor when they were fourteen. Steve was originally opposed to alcohol, but does eventually get drunk, after his mother had a stroke.

Awards

• ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 1975
• School Library Journal Best Books of the Year, 1975
• Land of the Enchantment Award, New Mexico Library Association, 1982