If I Ever Get Out of Here

The only other band mentioned in the novel is Queen, with a brief mention of Eric Clapton and David Bowie. Otherwise, the music presented in the novel is clearly dominated by the Beatles and Wings. Each chapter and part in the novel deals solely with albums and songs from one of the bands. Furthermore, in every instance of unification through music, it is invariably through the Beatles or Wings.

Lewis presents many examples of how to deal with bullying. At first, Lewis does what many kids do: He ignores the bully and the bullied in an attempt not to draw attention to himself. However, once he becomes the bullied, Lewis attempts to defend himself, which is a viable option that both the Haddonfields and Blakes support. In fact, when defending himself doesn’t stop the bullying and people continue to ask him if he fought back, Lewis becomes exasperated that people assume he never thought of that option. When this fails, Lewis seeks help from authority figures. Obviously, one can argue that this should have been his first option, but considering the circumstances of institutionalized racism inherent in his school system, one can forgive Lewis for not having done this first.

The snowstorm represents the rising action of the novel and foreshadows the ultimate showdown between Lewis and Evan. The increasing severity and violence of the storm mirrors the increasing violence that Evan exerts against Lewis. Furthermore, when the storm forces George, Mr. Haddonfield, and Lewis to seek shelter in the fire hall, it mirrors Lewis’ self-imposed house arrest when the bullying from Evan became too much for Lewis to handle.

Aside from the bullying aspect, the snowstorm also symbolizes the approach of the two-worlds-colliding/Venus and Mars motif when the Haddonfields are forced to return to the Blake house and overnight with them. Throughout the novel, Lewis has been trying to avoid inviting George over for a visit because he knows how ashamed his mother is of their house and their poverty. However, much like the storm itself, the difficulties of not inviting George over increase to the point that Lewis tells George a shameful lie about his mom being a type of medicine woman. Furthermore, when the storm reaches its ultimate severity and closes the roads on the reservation, it forces Lewis’ mother to confront the fact that George and his father are going to finally witness how she and her family live.