52 pages • 1 hour read
Chris CrutcherStaying Fat For Sarah Byrnes
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 1993A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Themes
Self-Acceptance
Throughout the novel, a host of characters struggle with self-acceptance. For some of the characters, such as Eric, the struggle is with physical appearance. Eric is devastatingly self-conscious while he is overweight; however, this issue continues even after he loses weight because he continues to define himself by his outward appearance. For Mark Brittian, the struggle towards self-acceptance takes another form, as Mark is not concerned with physical appearance but with image. Mark needs to be seen as perfect, as the straight-A student who is above fault or reproof. His suicide attempt is a signal that he would rather not live than admit his perfectly normal fallibility. Jody Mueller also struggles with self-acceptance, as she feels guilt over her abortion, guilt that Mark encourages her to feel.
Morality and Ethics
Morality is a constant topic in Eric’s CAT class. For some classmates, matters of morality are cut and dry but Eric and Ellerby are reluctant to accept any easy answers or platitudes. Ms. Lemry encourages them to examine their own ethical leanings and to question what they think they believe. Eric and Ellerby are able to do this easily but others, like Mark, struggle and feel enormous discomfort in doing so. It is clear that Ellerby has an advantage over Mark, as Mr. Ellerby’s religious views are not dogmatic and inflexible, as Mark’s father’s views are. Like Mark’s family, Mr. Mautz, the vice principal, views it as dangerous for students to be exploring their beliefs and he attempts to censor the class. This effort is pointless, though, because the moral and ethical quandaries accompany the students outside of the classroom.
Challenging Authority
For Sarah and Eric, authority figures must earn respect rather than simply expect it. Steve Ellerby shares this attitude and joins Eric in challenging the high handedness of Mr. Mautz. Because Ms. Lemry earns the students respect, she is appreciated by the teenagers. In some cases, as with Mr. Byrnes, challenging authority figures proves dangerous.
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By Chris Crutcher
