Sacrifice In Morris Gleitzman's Boy Overboard

The fictional novel Boy Overboard, by Morris Gleitzman, follows the captivating story of Jamal and his sister Bibi, two Afghan refugees. Throughout the book many of the characters exhibit sacrificial acts towards each other, strengthening the relationships between the characters involved. Jamal, Dad and Bibi are three characters from the novel who sacrifice their needs, and in some cases, their lives, for the people around them. In chapter four, we see Jamal display an act of sacrifice towards Bibi, his younger sister, who accidentally steps on a land mine. To prevent the mine from exploding, Bibi must stand on the mine until either Jamal or his friend Yusuf can run for help. Jamal puts Bibi’s needs before his – “Let me step on the mine. Then Yusuf will help you get home, and once you’re inside he’ll bring help for me. We’ll all be fine” (p 20). Bibi struggles to accept the fact that Jamal would be willing to sacrifice his life for her, and initially refuses to let him step on the mine. Jamal’s act of …show more content…
Bibi knows how much the soccer ball means to Jamal. “If we lose the ball, we won’t get to do the plan. We won’t get to be soccer stars and form a new government and go home” (p 108). She dives into the water to get it. This is a big sacrifice for Bibi, who risks drowning and losing her parents, all for her brother’s ball. This selfless act once again highlights the siblings’ love and devotion for each other.
Gleitzman’s novel highlights the significance of sacrifice in a relationship between two people. Jamal and Bibi’s sacrifices for each other bring them closer together as siblings, preparing them for their boat trip to Australia later on. Dad’s sacrifice brings Jamal to admire his father as a hero and lifesaver. As shown in the novel, selfless acts work wonders in relationships, and never go to