Butter By Erin Jade Lange: Literary Analysis

The novel Butter, written by author Erin Jade Lange, is a realistic fiction book set in present times. In the town of Scottsdale Arizona, the main character, who has gained the notorious nickname “Butter”, attends a local high school. Butter, as he is referred to throughout the book, is immensely overweight. Despite numerous attempts to lose the excess weight, Butter comes to the conclusion that since he is unable to reach a socially acceptable weight, he will be remembered as the boy that ate himself to death. Once Butter decides to go through with this fatal plan, the people at school, who before would’ve never even given him the time of day, begin to befriend him; first, by inviting him to their lunch table, then asking him to parties, hanging out with him, etc. Butter realizes he is changing. He no longer plays the saxophone for hours with the Brass Boys, no longer focuses as well on school, …show more content…
Said relation is not limited to simply obese teenagers, but rather anybody who has been a victim to any form of bullying and/or peer pressure. The plot was easy to follow and comprehend, and Lange went into great detail explaining every action and decision made by the main character. Overall, Lange’s novel showed beyond doubt an incredible story about a boy without a friend. Love interest brought an exciting aspect to the plot, while the depth of the issues faced brought an intense, philosophical feature. Because of the relatable problems faced by the protagonist, Butter appears to target a teenage-to-young adult age group. Basic knowledge of teenagers shows that they are the ones most likely to deal with any kind of bullying or peer pressure, especially any similar to the kinds faced in this book. In conclusion, this book is recommended to anyone who feels that they have experienced bullying in any varied shape or form, or anyone who finds high school a lot more stressful than they