About a Boy - Example questions - CCEA

Use these questions to hone your knowledge of About a Boy, and to practise using your notes and analysis in organised paragraphs that focus on how particular characters, themes or ideas are shown in the novel. There is an example answer in the following section to demonstrate how you can do this.

• How does Nick Hornby explore the theme of community in About a Boy?
• To what extent is Will a selfish person in About a Boy?
• In what ways to relationships change Will and Marcus in About a Boy?
• In what ways does Marcus experience difficulty in About a Boy?
• How does Nick Hornby present parent-child relationships in About a Boy?
• Examine how family is presented in About a Boy.

Below is a demonstration of how to use your revision material to answer an example essay question. The answer below is not a full essay, but only an extract of a longer answer showing some of the points that could be made.

Q: To what extent is Will a selfish person in About a Boy?

A: Will Freeman is one of the dual protagonists in Nick Hornby’s 1998 novel About a Boy, and half of the third person narrative is told from his point of view. While the title of the novel (modified from a Nirvana song) certainly applies to the other protagonist, Marcus, who is literally a child, it can also apply to Will who, despite being a fully grown adult, lives a life free of responsibility and shows many childish traits. One of these traits is being self-centred, and much of Will’s self-serving behaviour in the novel can be seen as the actions of a person who is primarily concerned only with his own needs, wants and moods. However, while there is much evidence that Will is indeed a deeply selfish person, there is also evidence that he changes throughout the novel to become more open and tolerant. As the story progresses he shows increased willingness to care about people other than himself, meaning he becomes less selfish in the course of the novel.

Will shows a complete lack of concern for anyone but himself. He refuses the honour when asked to be a godparent to his friends’ child, saying “‘I can’t think of anything worse’”. His use of litotes emphasises the negative tone of his refusal, revealing the fact he is not only too selfish to take on the responsibility of occasionally caring for a child, but also too selfish to consider the feelings of his friends and how offended or hurt they might be at his refusal to show an interest in their daughter. This lack of consideration is a selfish trait. He does not understand the ability to care for anyone outside himself; he considers his friends ridiculous for having children because he cannot see beyond his own self-interest: “the only reason for having children, as far as Will could see, was so they could look after you when you were old and skint”. This failure to understand how people might want to look after each other again suggests Will is a selfish person.

This essay could go on to make the following points, backed up by evidence from the novel and analysis/interpretation of that evidence:

• Will’s lifestyle has enabled him to become more selfish. He lives alone, has no dependents and is unemployed but financially comfortable – he is pleased with himself for “not having to work at all” and the fact he chooses to perform no service, paid or voluntary, for anyone else shows he is selfish.
• Will’s exploitation of the SPAT group for his own ends and his willingness to lie to get what he wants show a strong selfishness. The quote “he had found the ideal solution to this unexpected dearth of prey” exposes his attitude; the metaphor of “prey” implies that he views relationships as something where he can ‘feed’ on or use the partner while giving nothing in return.
• However, Will gradually accepts Marcus and comes to help him over the course of the novel with financial aid, moral support and advice. This opening up of his boundaries shows him becoming more attuned to other people as the story progresses, and ultimately makes him less selfish as a character.