Adolescence is already or can be a worrying period in itself. We are going through so many changes physically and also in our cognitive development. Everything we are subjected to can influence our development. We are a product of our environments. This can be a vulnerable time. This boy's life is a memory of Tobias Wolf's adolescence with his abusive stepfather. The film begins with Toby and his mother Caroline. They're going to Utah to find uranium and get rich. It's just Toby and his mother. His father left them and took his older brother with him. They hope to start a new life. His mother is looking for financial stability and a peaceful life for herself and her son. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayCaroline hasn't had much luck with men in the past. In their search for uranium, they were also leaving behind Caroline's violent boyfriend, Roy. Unknown to her, Roy travels to Utah and comes back into their lives for a while. He buys Toby a Winchester rifle. Toby is very excited about this gift. He treasures it. It gives him a sense of power or control that he so desperately wants. However, things don't work out with Roy, and once again Toby and his mother pick up and leave. They take a bus to Seattle and aim to start over. It is here that she meets Dwight, a man who seems to be achieving his goals. It's a facade though. He's putting on a show to attract Caroline. Caroline is having a harder time trying to control Toby. He misbehaves at school, commits petty crimes and hangs out with the wrong crowd. This is all in Toby's effort to find himself and figure out where he fits in. He always feels guilty about his behavior and wishes he wasn't like that. Toby loves his mother, but his need for freedom and reinvention creates a chaotic life for them. Toby also suffers from abandonment issues due to his father's departure. When Dwight enters the picture, Toby can see through him, and Caroline might be able to, too, but she's willing to make it work. He wants to provide Toby with a more stable life and a father figure. She decides to marry Dwight and make it work at all costs. After the wedding Toby and his mother move to Concrete to live with Dwight and his three children. It soon becomes apparent that Dwight is not who he seemed to be. He is very domineering and cruel. Despite this, Caroline feels she has to endure this dysfunctional relationship. He feels like he can't run anymore. She is determined to make this marriage work. Dwight soon starts picking on Toby. He gives him lots of odd jobs, gets him a long paper trail and gets him into the Boy Scouts. Dwight doesn't give Toby his money from the paper route. She tells him that she is saving it for him for when he really needs it. However, this is a lie. Dwight is using the money for himself. Dwight is emotionally, verbally, and physically abusive towards Toby. Toby's mother doesn't seem aware of how violent Dwight is towards Toby. His mother later says he will not be a referee. This further frustrates Toby because he thinks she should defend him to Dwight. What keeps Toby going is that he knows there must be better places out there. He dreams of leaving and reinventing himself. Toby's older brother is a student at Yale, and Toby dreams of entering a prep school like his brother. His grades and behavior at school will not help him get into any school, much less an elementary school. He manages to convince his friend Arthur to falsify his grades. He gets a scholarship to the Hill School. Dwight was no help.