45 pages • 1 hour read
Benjamin ZephaniahRefugee Boy
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2001A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
EAST
Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses graphic violence, racism, anti-immigrant bias, and the emotional distress of refugees related to familial separation and loss.
Zephaniah uses EAST, the East African Solidarity Trust, as a motif that represents peace and unity. Alem’s mother started the organization, hoping to create a place that focuses on “unifying the various tribes” in Eritrea and Ethiopia (111). However, because of the war, the offices in Ethiopia and Eritrea shut down, leaving the London office as the only operating part of the organization. Although Alem does not know a lot about the organization, he connects it to the memory of his mother and decides that he should always “promote her dream” of peace (211). The presence of EAST in London shows Alem that there are people like his mother who want to help those in need and do not want to “sit back and watch [Ethiopians and Eritreans] tear [themselves] apart” (211). When Alem finally visits the office, he feels encouraged because he sees Ethiopians and Eritreans sharing the same space peacefully for the first time. He realizes that “peace is possible and peace will happen,” even if it does not come as quickly as he hopes (217). Although the EAST office is also associated with the death of Alem’s father, the organization’s presence and the help it gives to Ethiopians and Eritreans show Alem that fighting for unity and peace will always be worthwhile.
The Kelo Family Photograph
Alem’s family photograph is a motif that represents safety. When Mr. Kelo leaves Alem in England, he gives him a letter and a photograph of their family. Alem treasures the photograph because it is the only physical reminder he has left of his family and homeland. Alem holds the photograph as he sleeps in the children’s home because he feels unsafe and unsure of himself. When he arrives at the Fitzgerald house, he puts the photograph on display in his room so that he can remind himself of what his parents look like. When Ruth asks about it, he tells her that it is the only picture he has of his family and that it “is wearing out because it has been in [his] bag, in [his] pockets, under [his] pillow, and [he] keep[s] holding it” (164). In response, Ruth helps him digitize the photo, representing the eternal nature of his familial bond, even when the family is separated. Alem has trouble letting go of the photograph even for a moment because of how much he misses his parents and longs to be reconnected with them.
He does not focus on the photograph as much once his father returns because his father embodies the feeling of safety that Alem has missed since becoming a refugee. However, once he learns of his father’s murder, Alem leaves his belongings in the hotel but returns to “take the family photograph from the table” (277). The photograph represents a sense of safety and comfort, which is why Alem clings to it after learning that his father is dead, hoping that it will soothe his grief.
Positive Pupil Certificate
The Positive Pupil Certificate is a motif that represents self-worth and acceptance. When Alem attends school in England on his first day, he sees two students receive the Positive Pupil Certificate in the school assembly. Alem whispers the words “Positive Pupil” to himself because he realizes he “like[s] the sound of it” (94). Later in the novel, after the campaign rally, the headmaster awards Alem with the Positive Pupil Certificate because “his quest for knowledge is relentless” (269). The headmaster lifts Alem up as “an example to [them] all” because of his work ethic and the way he adapts to new environments and challenges (269). Alem is pleased to accept the award, but he also feels that he does not deserve it. He shows the Fitzgeralds the certificate and tells them that he believes that his friends who organized the campaign deserve it more than he does. However, Mrs. Fitzgerald tells Alem that he is “a role model” (270), even if he does not feel that way. This moment reveals how Alem dismisses his achievements even though he has survived a war, the tragedy of his mother’s death, and the separation from his family and homeland. The certificate symbolizes Alem’s need to understand his self-worth, even as the government and immigration system continually try to degrade him.
