Stuntboy, in the Meantime

Fiction | Graphic Novel/Book | Middle Grade | Published in 2021

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Episode 1

Episodes 2-4

Episodes 5-7

Episodes 8-10

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Episodes 5-7Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Episode 5 Summary: “Who Rocks the Block”

Block parties are a major summer event in Portico’s neighborhood. Everyone comes out, and the whole street is blocked off so that people can bring out drinks, barbecue grills, and a sound system for music. Mr. Chico has been the DJ of the building since the 1970s, but today, he is nowhere to be seen. Although he came earlier to set up his speakers, he doesn’t appear when the party starts. Gran Gran surprises everyone when she reveals that she knows how to DJ and gets behind the turntables.

Portico is glad when his dad arrives at the block party because, as a waste collector, Portico’s dad has a special giant wrench that works on fire hydrants. He uses it to turn the block party into a water party. This is fun at first, but Herbert and some other kids start filling water balloons and targeting Portico and Zola with them. When a balloon hits Zola in the face, breaking her glasses, Portico becomes enraged and tackles Herbert. Portico’s parents have to pull him off Herbert and take him home, where they fight over whether Portico did the right thing or not. Portico’s dad believes that he was right to defend Zola, but Portico’s mother sees violence as a poor solution to a problem. Portico goes into his room, and Zola visits soon after. Portico tries to fix her glasses but only makes them worse; however, Zola assures him that her mother is going to get them fixed. In the living room, Portico and Zola notice that Portico’s parents are finally quiet. They both sit on the couch with their stacks of stuff beside them, looking sad and frustrated. Gran Gran explains that both of them are grounded.

Episode 6 Summary: “One Man’s Trash Chute Is Another Man’s Time Machine”

Stuntboy’s next episode is introduced with bells, triangles, and xylophones. It’s Saturday, so Portico is stuck doing chores around the house, wondering where dust comes from and why it has to be dusted. He cleans the bathroom and vacuums the carpets. Zola comes for a visit, and they gather dust bunnies and carrots and play together until Portico’s mother stops them, asking why Portico started making a mess instead of cleaning it up.

Portico and Zola take the garbage to the trash chute and are met by Herbert, who tells them to jump down it. Portico thinks it would be fun and starts to climb in, but Zola is hesitant. A moment later, Soup appears and tells Herbert to go home and do his chores. It occurs to Portico that Soup somehow knows Herbert. Portico and Zola follow Herbert back to the half door, which he reveals leads to a boiler room. He tells Portico and Zola that his mother married Soup, which is why Herbert moved to the apartment building. Portico can’t believe that Herbert gets to have a Super for a dad, but Herbert doesn’t seem happy about it at all.

Portico goes back to his apartment to tell his parents what he found out about Herbert but finds them arguing over a clock. Both of Portico’s parents express their frustration and how tired they are of fighting, and yet they continue. Portico yells at his parents to take a time out, but they only apologize and tell him to go find Zola again. Portico finds Zola at her apartment, and she and Portico do yoga together under Zola’s mother’s instruction. When Portico tells Zola about the clock, Zola is reminded of an episode of Super Space Warriors in which Mater and Pater become trapped in a moving doorway. The only way to escape is to stand still, but by the time they realize this, it’s too late, and their enemies are long gone. Portico takes this information and rushes home again, where instead of yelling or kicking, he sits down on the floor in “a hero pose” (194). Portico breathes in and out, and the room turns silent and calm. It is then that Portico’s parents realize that the clock they were fighting over doesn’t even work.

Episode 7 Summary: “There’s a Movie?”

The Super Space Warriors movie comes out, and Portico performs stunts the whole way to the theater, imagining the movie as Zola narrates it. At the theater, they load their tray with popcorn, soda, and candy—the three staples of movie going, according to Portico. Portico and Zola both fall asleep a few minutes into the movie and miss almost all of it. All they remember is the beginning, where Mater and Pater continue to argue rather than solve their rivalry. At home, they brainstorm ideas for how the movie might have played out but are soon interrupted by Herbert, who saw the movie and spoils the ending for them. Portico runs home and finds his parents fighting over the television set. He decides to turn on Super Space Warriors at full volume and watches as Mater and Pater fail to “protect the sun” (212). The perspective zooms in on Portico’s face, which becomes a sun filled with worry and fear.

Episodes 5-7 Analysis

In this section, The Effects of Family Conflict on Children are exacerbated by bullying, as moments of joy and levity for Portico are often ruined by the local bully, Herbert. The block party that the apartment holds allows the whole community to come together and bring their talents and skills to be shared by everyone around. The day is filled with laughter and fun until Herbert decides to attack Zola with water balloons, breaking her glasses. When Portico attacks Herbert in response, all it does is create another reason for his parents to argue. Portico and Zola also get to go see the Super Space Warriors movie but fall asleep part-way through and have the movie spoiled by Herbert. Herbert’s bullying creates new conflict for Portico outside of his home, mirroring the family conflict he experiences at home. Portico must decide whether to follow his parents’ model and respond to Herbert’s bullying by fighting back and causing more conflict or whether to forge his own path of composure and empathy.

Portico’s character growth in this section is marked by his newfound ability to access his inner hero and learn the techniques that Zola teaches him to handle his anxiety and calm himself down. During this part of the story, Zola is characterized mainly by the support she provides for Portico, and Portico is defined by his desire to understand his parents. These characterizations intersect in Zola’s ability to clarify Portico’s parents’ behavior through the lens of their favorite television show, emphasizing the connection between family conflict and The Foundational Supports Provided by Friendship. Portico and Zola discuss Mater and Pater’s obligation to “protect the sun” from the villains in the cartoon (213), a metaphor for Portico’s own situation. The “sun” can be interpreted as Portico, and the conflict between Mater and Pater can be applied to Portico’s parents. Instead of protecting their son from their own emotional conflicts, they expose him to them and leave him vulnerable to anxiety and panic. Portico’s face is drawn as though it is the sun itself, but rather than the usual smile, it is a sun with a frown and worried eyes. With Zola’s support, Portico starts to feel strong and confident, and he begins a new approach to his situation at home. Rather than adding to the chaos, Portico sits calmly on the floor and emanates silence and stillness. His parents are shocked enough to finally notice, and they realize that their most recent object of conflict (a clock) is, ironically, broken. Portico’s decision to approach conflict with calm showcases his growth and maturity.

The dynamic between Portico, Zola, and Herbert shifts in this section as the two friends learn more about their bully’s motivations and backstory, adding complexity to Herbert’s characterization. Portico and Zola discover that Herbert’s stepfather is Soup, which hints at the later realization that Herbert is angry because of his own parents’ divorce and the changes that came with it. Portico can relate to Herbert in this way because while Portico does not react with anger, he does feel the same fear and instability that Herbert does. Zola and Portico remain hesitant about trusting Herbert, however, as Herbert still treats Portico and Zola like threats rather than friends.