Carl Matt's Struggle In A Dysfunctional Family

James Moloney has created a novel which takes the reader into the life of a 15-year-old boy living in a dysfunctional family. ABTWC displays how the protagonist, Carl Matt, faces many challenges in the in the story. However, he tackles these challenges head-on to become victorious. The text portrays this through Carl’s resilience with lack of love from a family, Carl’s courage while bearing the burden of the Matt name and Carl’s strength against loneliness.
Carl’s biggest obstacle is the lack of love from a family. However, Carl overcomes this problem by connecting to the Duncan family members, (Skip, Joy and Maddie). This is evident when Aunt Beryl makes this comment “Who is going to love if your own mother doesn’t?” When Aunt Beryl makes this comment, Carl is instantly shattered by it. It is important, because it highlights how Carl has never been loved by his mother, one of the most significant people in a young boy’s …show more content…
This obstacle that Carl faces is like an extremely steep mountain. However, he ascents this mountain and reaches its summit by doing good in Wattle Beach and Wisemans Cove. This is evident when Skip Duncan says “Bloody Matts. Rotten to the core. Every one I’ve ever laid eyes on.” This is exploring Skip’s history with the Matt family. The importance of the quote is extraordinary. However, Carl overcomes this by committing benevolent acts in Wattle Beach and Wiseman’s Cove. By working on the barge, Carl is able to move above these preconceptions and deviate from this burden. This is furthered when Skip says “You did good Carl; you did good”. This is referring to the work Carl had done on the barge before it closed. This quote is significant because it displays the fact the Skip trusts Carl now, he has some respect for Carl, putting aside his loathe against the Matt name. Carl overcomes the obstacle of the Matt presumption by compassionately acting for the good of Wattle