Characters
Tyler
You must be able to: analyse how Blackman establishes and develops the character of Tyler.
How is Tyler presented? Tyler is the father of Dante and Adam. Dante reveals that Tyler has several phrases or ‘life lessons’ that he repeats over and over to them, including the statement ‘Boys don’t cry.’ Blackman presents Tyler as a complex character. He is a widower and has been raising the boys alone since his wife died of cancer. He appears to be a very caring parent. The first time he appears in the novel, he is worrying about Adam’s headaches and takes time off work to take him to the doctor. However, he is also seen as very critical and harsh towards Dante, offering almost no praise when Dante passes all four A levels with impressive results. Tyler’s treatment of Dante in Chapter 8 makes Dante feel like an ‘afterthought’. The contrast between the way Tyler treats Dante and Adam is a frequent motif in the novel and one that is only explained at the end of Chapter 38.
Why does Tyler appear to treat Dante and Adam differently? In Chapter 38, it is revealed that Tyler married Dante’s mother because she got pregnant. He had to give up his ambitions of working as an editor in films to get a job and support his family. Dante believes that his dad treats them differently because ‘Adam was wanted’ whereas Dante was not. Despite Dante’s feelings, Blackman shows throughout the novel that Tyler is supportive of Dante.
How does Emma’s arrival affect Tyler? Blackman draws a number of parallels between Tyler’s life and Dante’s experiences, repeatedly showing similarities between the two characters. When Tyler first learns about Emma, he calls Dante a ‘stupid bloody idiot’. He also emphasises that he feels ‘disappointed’ in Dante because he wanted his son to achieve more in life. In Chapter 38, Blackman reveals that Tyler had to give up his dreams to support his family just as Dante has had to give up his to look after Emma. Dante finds himself repeating some of his father’s stock phrases as he embraces his role as a father. Throughout the novel, other characters also highlight how similar Dante and Tyler are. Tyler offers a lot of advice and support to Dante. When he goes out to purchase some baby things, he comes home with ‘three-quarters … of the baby store’, suggesting he is excited at the prospect of being a grandparent.
How is Tyler’s character developed? Although Tyler is seen as quite critical of Dante, there are two key occasions when Tyler prioritises his family over everything else. The first is when Emma first arrives. Tyler has already taken time off work to take Adam to the doctor and he takes the rest of the day
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Characters
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