Miracle's Boys

The economic challenges that the family faces are directly addressed in this section, which highlights the themes of Guilt and Blame and The Grieving Process. Lafayette is keenly aware that Ty’ree must budget their money carefully, just as his mother did, which conjures memories of her and feelings of guilt in Lafayette. At times, their financial strains frustrate Lafayette, who wishes to be free of the stresses of poverty. At other times, he feels sad for Ty’ree, who must bear the bulk of this burden on his own after the loss of both of their parents. He knows that Ty’ree turned down the opportunity to follow his dreams when he had to turn down his admission to MIT to care for Lafayette. While Lafayette could have gone to live with great-aunt Cecile, both brothers value remaining together as a family, highlighting the theme of Familial Bonds and the sense of duty it creates in Ty’ree in particular. Ty’ree’s belief that their economic status is only temporary may be unrealistic, but it keeps Lafayette’s spirits up. Indeed, Ty’ree recognizes the way small luxuries, such as a trip to a movie theater, can buoy both of their spirits. It is important to Ty’ree that he can independently care for the family without any outside help. This appears to have been a shared value and source of pride acquired from their mother, who refused to allow Lafayette to receive a free summer camp admission. When Lafayette recalls this memory while watching Ty’ree count change, his constant processing of grief is called to center, demonstrating his sense of acceptance: Lafayette feels sad and even guilty, but he allows himself to linger in memories, which contrasts sharply with Charlie.

When Lafayette learns that Ty’ree was present on the day their father rescued the woman and her dog, he is outraged and confused. Lafayette feels as though he has been lied to, as his family has kept this information from him. Rather than telling Lafayette why the information was withheld, Ty’ree focuses on the grief and sadness he feels over the loss of their father and the responsibility he feels for his death. In this way, Ty’ree perpetuates the theme of Guilt and Blame, as he connects his wish for his father to save the dog with his father’s death. This also intersects with Lafayette’s current feelings of guilt over their mother’s death; both boys blame themselves for circumstances far beyond their control. Neither Ty’ree nor Lafayette could have done anything to change their parents’ fates, and the two brothers are bound together by their physical presences during their parents’ deaths. Likewise, Ty’ree and Charlie share a parallel in their love of dogs. Lafayette recalls the incident in which Charlie attempted to save a stray dog that was struck by a car—citing this as evidence of Charlie’s loving and kindhearted spirit. Ty’ree, too, is filled with concern for the dog who fell into the icy pond. The dog is a recurring motif, as Lafayette dreams of it that night.

Lafayette’s frustration over Charlie’s changed behavior continues. Though Ty’ree attempts to cast Charlie in different light initially—requesting Lafayette not refer to him by the “Newcharlie” moniker and pointing out that they have all changed after their mother’s death—Lafayette remains stalwart. His frustration sometimes manifests as anger, and Ty’ree diverts Lafayette’s attention by drawing it to other subjects—generally, they are memories of their parents. In Ty’ree diverting Lafayette’s attention from anger at Charlie to sadness over their parents, the brothers’ hardships and struggles are evident: While distraction can sometimes be found in a cup of hot chocolate, the brothers have many emotional burdens. Finally, Ty’ree concedes that Charlie has changed, displaying a meanness that Ty’ree himself does not know how to address, foreshadowing whether or not this conflict can be remedied.

Though the sessions ended, Lafayette’s time with the psychologist proves to be a helpful step in the healing process, effectively aiding Lafayette in working through his grief. It seems that being encouraged to speak freely of his feelings and frustrations was an instrumental aspect of the therapy’s effectiveness, which is countered by Ty’ree’s mandate that some topics are not to be discussed at home. However, the admission of these beneficial sessions foreshadows resolution: When this taboo about open dialogue and grieving is gradually broken, the brothers will finally be able to heal together.