Billy Casper has many problems, although most of them are not actuallyhis fault.
There are caused by the surrounds he live in, such as his family life,his school and his physical make-up. Billy is a week child, he is often pickedon because of this. Billy’s mother does not care for him, because of this he dose not have abond with his mother so he fells unloved. Love is very important for a childsuch as Billy, as it would make him feel more responsible for his actions. If heknew he mother loved, him then he probably wouldn’t get into so much troublewith the police, because he wouldn’t want to upset his mother.
Billy’s motheris so unconcerned for his safety and health, that at the beginning of the bookshe lets him go out at seven in the morning for a paper round. When he getsback he dose not have any breakfast, and all his mother can do is shout arthim for not doing her errands. This therefor makes him late for school. Billy is often the subject of bulling, mainly from his brother and fromMacDowall. He tries to fight back he is always beaten as him opponents areusually twice as big as him.
Billy is also beaten up psychologically by his P. Eteacher. I think this is more damaging to him, because as it is his teacherdoing the bullying he knows he can’t fight back. Billy has very poor living conditions, his house is freezing, his room hascold lino floor, there is hardly any food in the house and he has to share hisbed with his brother. I think that Casper dose not feel like he fits in to society.
For examplehe dose not have a Father and he dose not have a family. I think that Billylongs for a proper family to give him all the love and attention he needs. If hehad a real family he wouldn’t have to steal chocolate, which would mean hewouldn’t get in trouble with the police so often. His essay he wrote in Englishshows this well.
In the essay, which is meant to be a tall story, he describes acompletely normal family life. It is only normal to us thought, because in theessay is everything he hasn’t got, but desperately longs for. From the writing skills Billy displays in his essay most people wouldpresume that Billy is fairly unintelligent, but that is quite the oppersit. In fact isvery cleaver, only at subjects that interest him, such as falconry. Billy knows alot about the subject, and even how to spell the complicated words associatedwith it.
Casper is a very weak child physically and mentally, combined with hishome problems and his fear of the mines it is really not surprising that Billy is aproblem child with no real aim in life. The interview with the careers advisertells us this.
