Boy's Life
Encyclopedia
Boy's Life is a 1991 novel by New York Times bestselling author Robert R. McCammon
. It received the World Fantasy Award
for Best Novel in 1992.
The story is set in the early 1960s and makes observations about changes in America at that time, with particular emphasis on the Civil Rights Movement
. Several of the characters are connected to the Ku Klux Klan
, and the segregation of the black community is dealt with in some detail.
. The story begins as Cory's father, Tom, watches a car drive straight into a deep lake and sink to the bottom with a passenger inside. Tom jumps in and tries to save the driver of the car, only to discover that the man is actually a murder
victim. This vision, and the realization that there is evil in the small town of Zephyr, is enough to haunt Cory's father. Meanwhile, Cory has several adventures with his friends (Johnny, Davy Ray, and Ben), such as flying with their dogs on the last day of school.
Tom Mackenson— Cory's father, a quiet and kind-hearted man, who loses his job as a milkman and has to work at a super market. His one desire in life is peace, which he learns to fight for at Cory's suggestion.
Davy Ray Callan— Cory's hot-headed, sarcastic friend who dies towards the end of the story by shooting himself accidentally. The explanation he gives Cory is that he saw Snowdown, the local myth, which is a white stag
no hunter can bag. Davy explains that when he saw Snowdown, he was so shocked he tripped and shot himself in the stomach.
Ben Sears— Cory's chubby, somewhat slow friend, who turns out to be braver than Cory thought. Cory realizes, during a sleepover, that Ben's father is a violent alcoholic, though Ben has never mentioned it.
Johnny Wilson— how A soft-spoken, part native-American friend of Cory's who gets a severe concussion when fighting with the Branlin brothers, the local bullies. Cory worries about him throughout the summer, but Johnny teaches Cory a lesson when, there is another confrontation with the Branlins. Johnny uses fighting skills and strength he had worked on all summer to defeat the Branlins. Cory realizes that it takes courage and hard work to earn peace.
Dr. Lezander— The local veterinarian who pretends to be a Dutch survivor of World War II
. He is friendly and gives nicknames to the towns residents at weekly church services. His outward appearance hides sinister secrets. In the final chapter, it is revealed that his real name is Gunther Dahninaderke and he is actually a former Nazi, who was the doctor of Esterwegen concentration camp
in World War II.
Rebel— Cory's dog that gets hit by a car, and dies, but Cory prays him back to life. Cory slowly realizes that he has to let Rebel die so he can be at peace, but not before spending some time with Dr. Lezander, and noticing some important things about him.
Vernon Thaxter— The middle-aged son of the richest man in town, Vernon Thaxter refuses to wear clothes. He is crazy in some ways, yet makes predictions that are important to the solving of the murder. He is good-hearted in general, coercing even the most racist people in Zephyr to help build a dam in Bruton, the place where all the black citizens live, against a coming flood. He, like Cory, is a writer, but his writing disappointed his father, who in turn blamed Vernon for his mother's death (Vernon's father may be dead during the story, but Vernon keeps this a secret so no one will dare bother/insult him).
The Lady— The Lady is the undisputed leader of Bruton, and is well respected by everyone in Zephyr. White people tend to fear her, including Tom Mackenson. She is very in touch with the supernatural, such as Ol' Moses, the huge creature in the river, and spirits who are "on the other side of the river" (dead). She gives Cory Rocket, his bike, as thanks for saving a young boy from Ol' Moses during the flood.
The Moon Man— The Lady's mysterious husband, known to all as the Moon Man, is black but has a very pale birthmark (hinted to be vitiligo) on his face and head that give him a very unusual appearance. He is generally a soft-spoken gentleman.
Dick Moultry— McCammon clearly uses Dick Moultry, the town bigot, to show his opinions of racism. Moultry is an obese, cowardly, angry, self-centered KKK member. Ironically, he is caught under a bomb that is mysteriously "mistakenly" dropped in Zephyr on Christmas Eve, and which Cory attributes to the Lady's supernatural power. The bomb does not go off, but pins Moultry in his basement. He needs the help of Mr. Lightfoot, the local fix-it man who has a prodigious ability with all machines, to get out from under it. He refuses Mr. Lightfoot's help at first, on the grounds that Mr. Lightfoot is black. Being an unintelligent, rigid bigot, of course, Moultry learns nothing from the experience.
Mr. Hargison— The local mailman, who saves Cory and his friends during the first fight with the Branlins. He is friendly with Tom Mackenson until they discuss the matter of the KKK, which Hargison secretly belongs to.
The Blaylocks— A violent clan of gambling, bomb-selling, sheriff-bribing, moonshine-making rednecks.
The Demon— A girl in Cory's class who disgusts the other students with her nose-picking, etc., but wins their respect at the end when she glues Leatherlungs, their tyrannical teacher, to her chair.
Mayor Swope— The mayor of Zephyr who Cory suspects of the murder. He also oversees the local short-story contest.
Leatherlungs— One of Cory's teachers, who is considered to be half-crazy and a "burnout" by the other teachers. She bullies Cory, specifically for his trouble in math, and at one point he gets so angry that he hits her. At the end, she gets what she deserves when the Demon glues her (with very strong, homemade glue) to her chair.
Mrs. Neville— Cory's teacher in the beginning of the book, who encourages him to enter a short-story contest. Cory resents her, simply because she is a teacher, but finds out later that she was dying of cancer at the end of the year. She passes away during the summer.
Reverend Blesset— A very right-wing Baptist preacher, who strongly opposes the Beach Boys and their music. He gives a sermon saying that their music is from the devil, and is trying to make children sexually crazed, immoral delinquents. He illustrates this point with an angry spider monkey, who he calls Lucifer, but this backfires when Lucifer escapes and proceeds to wreak havoc on the town.
The Branlins— Two twin boys, Gotha and Gordo, who go around town causing trouble for other kids. But eventually Johnny and Cory fight back, and win peace for the kids of Zephyr.
Robert R. McCammon
Robert Rick McCammon is an American novelist from Birmingham, Alabama. His parents are Jack, a musician, and Barbara Bundy McCammon. After his parents' divorce, McCammon lived with his grandparents in Birmingham. He received a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Alabama in 1974. McCammon...
. It received the World Fantasy Award
World Fantasy Award
The World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...
for Best Novel in 1992.
The story is set in the early 1960s and makes observations about changes in America at that time, with particular emphasis on the Civil Rights Movement
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
. Several of the characters are connected to the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
, and the segregation of the black community is dealt with in some detail.
Synopsis
The book deals with 12-year-old Cory Mackenson, who grows up in the town of Zephyr, AlabamaAlabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. The story begins as Cory's father, Tom, watches a car drive straight into a deep lake and sink to the bottom with a passenger inside. Tom jumps in and tries to save the driver of the car, only to discover that the man is actually a murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
victim. This vision, and the realization that there is evil in the small town of Zephyr, is enough to haunt Cory's father. Meanwhile, Cory has several adventures with his friends (Johnny, Davy Ray, and Ben), such as flying with their dogs on the last day of school.
Characters
Cory Mackenson— A 12-year-old boy who loves to write, or "right" about his life, making his stories on paper show life the way it should be, or the way he imagines it, he believes in magic. At the beginning when the man dies and finds a green feather, that's where his troubles begin.Tom Mackenson— Cory's father, a quiet and kind-hearted man, who loses his job as a milkman and has to work at a super market. His one desire in life is peace, which he learns to fight for at Cory's suggestion.
Davy Ray Callan— Cory's hot-headed, sarcastic friend who dies towards the end of the story by shooting himself accidentally. The explanation he gives Cory is that he saw Snowdown, the local myth, which is a white stag
White stag
A white stag or white deer is a red deer with a condition known as leucism that causes its hair and skin to lose its natural colour. The white stag has played a prominent role in many cultures' mythology.-Biology:...
no hunter can bag. Davy explains that when he saw Snowdown, he was so shocked he tripped and shot himself in the stomach.
Ben Sears— Cory's chubby, somewhat slow friend, who turns out to be braver than Cory thought. Cory realizes, during a sleepover, that Ben's father is a violent alcoholic, though Ben has never mentioned it.
Johnny Wilson— how A soft-spoken, part native-American friend of Cory's who gets a severe concussion when fighting with the Branlin brothers, the local bullies. Cory worries about him throughout the summer, but Johnny teaches Cory a lesson when, there is another confrontation with the Branlins. Johnny uses fighting skills and strength he had worked on all summer to defeat the Branlins. Cory realizes that it takes courage and hard work to earn peace.
Dr. Lezander— The local veterinarian who pretends to be a Dutch survivor of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He is friendly and gives nicknames to the towns residents at weekly church services. His outward appearance hides sinister secrets. In the final chapter, it is revealed that his real name is Gunther Dahninaderke and he is actually a former Nazi, who was the doctor of Esterwegen concentration camp
Esterwegen
Esterwegen is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany.In 1933 a concentration camp was established in Esterwegen. In 1936 the camp was dissolved and used till 1945 as a prisoner camp, for political prisoners and later for prisoners of the decree Nacht und Nebel.- Well known...
in World War II.
Rebel— Cory's dog that gets hit by a car, and dies, but Cory prays him back to life. Cory slowly realizes that he has to let Rebel die so he can be at peace, but not before spending some time with Dr. Lezander, and noticing some important things about him.
Vernon Thaxter— The middle-aged son of the richest man in town, Vernon Thaxter refuses to wear clothes. He is crazy in some ways, yet makes predictions that are important to the solving of the murder. He is good-hearted in general, coercing even the most racist people in Zephyr to help build a dam in Bruton, the place where all the black citizens live, against a coming flood. He, like Cory, is a writer, but his writing disappointed his father, who in turn blamed Vernon for his mother's death (Vernon's father may be dead during the story, but Vernon keeps this a secret so no one will dare bother/insult him).
The Lady— The Lady is the undisputed leader of Bruton, and is well respected by everyone in Zephyr. White people tend to fear her, including Tom Mackenson. She is very in touch with the supernatural, such as Ol' Moses, the huge creature in the river, and spirits who are "on the other side of the river" (dead). She gives Cory Rocket, his bike, as thanks for saving a young boy from Ol' Moses during the flood.
The Moon Man— The Lady's mysterious husband, known to all as the Moon Man, is black but has a very pale birthmark (hinted to be vitiligo) on his face and head that give him a very unusual appearance. He is generally a soft-spoken gentleman.
Dick Moultry— McCammon clearly uses Dick Moultry, the town bigot, to show his opinions of racism. Moultry is an obese, cowardly, angry, self-centered KKK member. Ironically, he is caught under a bomb that is mysteriously "mistakenly" dropped in Zephyr on Christmas Eve, and which Cory attributes to the Lady's supernatural power. The bomb does not go off, but pins Moultry in his basement. He needs the help of Mr. Lightfoot, the local fix-it man who has a prodigious ability with all machines, to get out from under it. He refuses Mr. Lightfoot's help at first, on the grounds that Mr. Lightfoot is black. Being an unintelligent, rigid bigot, of course, Moultry learns nothing from the experience.
Mr. Hargison— The local mailman, who saves Cory and his friends during the first fight with the Branlins. He is friendly with Tom Mackenson until they discuss the matter of the KKK, which Hargison secretly belongs to.
The Blaylocks— A violent clan of gambling, bomb-selling, sheriff-bribing, moonshine-making rednecks.
The Demon— A girl in Cory's class who disgusts the other students with her nose-picking, etc., but wins their respect at the end when she glues Leatherlungs, their tyrannical teacher, to her chair.
Mayor Swope— The mayor of Zephyr who Cory suspects of the murder. He also oversees the local short-story contest.
Leatherlungs— One of Cory's teachers, who is considered to be half-crazy and a "burnout" by the other teachers. She bullies Cory, specifically for his trouble in math, and at one point he gets so angry that he hits her. At the end, she gets what she deserves when the Demon glues her (with very strong, homemade glue) to her chair.
Mrs. Neville— Cory's teacher in the beginning of the book, who encourages him to enter a short-story contest. Cory resents her, simply because she is a teacher, but finds out later that she was dying of cancer at the end of the year. She passes away during the summer.
Reverend Blesset— A very right-wing Baptist preacher, who strongly opposes the Beach Boys and their music. He gives a sermon saying that their music is from the devil, and is trying to make children sexually crazed, immoral delinquents. He illustrates this point with an angry spider monkey, who he calls Lucifer, but this backfires when Lucifer escapes and proceeds to wreak havoc on the town.
The Branlins— Two twin boys, Gotha and Gordo, who go around town causing trouble for other kids. But eventually Johnny and Cory fight back, and win peace for the kids of Zephyr.