The Stone Boy: Forældresvigt og børns reaktion

Parents have always had the biggest influence on their children, and parents have always had a responsibility to take care of their children.

But when something terrible happens, as when a family member dies, it is the parents’ job to help the child. But when parents suddenly are not there to help and to be supportive anymore, feelings can be misunderstood and cause psychological harm to the child.

This is what is happening in The Stone Boy:

When Eugene dies, Arnold withdraws, instead of reacting.

Arnold becomes this “stone boy”, because his parents do not help him to cope with the experiences he had had.

One of the things that the parents, especially the father, do wrong is to put such a pressure and such a big responsibility on Arnold.

Arnold is only nine years old, but the adults treat him like he was a lot older. For example, Arnold and Eugene’s (who was 15) job, was to get up early and pick peas.

Another example, Arnold’s father gives him a .22-caliber riffle, because no one else used it, so that he could shoot ducks. The parents have taught him to be more grown-up and mature than he actually is, so he could do some of the parents work. But it is not responsible to let a nine-year old boy do things like that.