English Notes
This Boy’s Life
September 29, 2015
Chapter 2
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Narrator has his own dreams of transformation
Wanted to call himself Jack after Jack London (he had a girl named Toby in his class and didn’t
want a name that could be confused for a girl’s name)
Narrator takes Jonathan as his name--attended catechism classes, took it as a baptismal name,
changed it to Jack
Father heard that Toby changed his name and was unhappy. However, father bought furniture
at antique stores so it looked like old family furniture, invented a coat of arms, family was
Jewish but he pretended to be protestant
Mother stuck up for new name because the father didn’t like it
Father got rich from marrying a wealthy woman—never gave mother and son money
Narrator recalls Catholic school—Sister James had clubs to keep kids from converting. He joins
the archery club. Boys try to hit cats, and then each other, with the arrows. Sister James
catches the boys and tells Toby that “Practice is over.”
Toby becomes secretive—he believes Sister James can see how bad he is inside.
Mother left Florida to go to Utah to avoid Roy. Roy finds her in Utah—he follows her across
country (obsessive, crazy).
Most boys from school were Mormons. Therefore, Toby was by himself most of the time. He
walked around town alone and would talk to anyone who would talk back, played with other
people’s dogs, and wrote impressive letters to his pen pal, Alice. He creates an imaginary life on
a ranch in his letters in hopes Alice will be in awe of him.
Roy: stays home, unemployed, checks to make sure Jack/Toby’s mother didn’t run away, went
to war, takes Toby hunting, looks for uranium, and is perpetually stalking/intimidating Toby’s
mom
Toby/Jack is baptized during Easter with other kids from CCD. He is asked to go to confession,
and realizes he has a lot to confess. When he goes into confession, he doesn’t say anything.
Sister James gives Jack Oreos and milk. Jack realizes she wants to help him. She is sympathetic
and tells Jack that “we all go through these things.” Sister James offers her own sins (took
change from her dad, talked about her friends, etc.)
In the confessional Jack repeats the same sins Sister James told him.  This is funny.