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Steve Worland's Paper Planes Essay

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Steve Worland’s novel Paper Planes details the complicated lives of Dylan Webber, a 12-year-old boy, and his father Jack who live in the small town Waleup, situated in Western Australia. Dylan is not a characteristic young boy. With the loss of his mother, he is left to be raised by a severely depressed father who struggles to get himself off the couch; forcing Dylan to become mature beyond his years. When Dylan realises he has a gift for throwing paper planes, it is through this incentive which reinvigorates his father’s desire to be there as a factor in his son’s life. The character Dylan symbolises the lives of many children who are faced with challenges including loss, independence, lack of family support, bullying, and competition related conflicts. Through a sequential analysis of key moments, this essay aims to follow how Dylan and Jacks’ relationship alters throughout the course of the novel.

At the beginning of the book just before Dylan’s first paper plane competition, …show more content…

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