Saving 6

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of physical and emotional abuse, bullying, suicidal ideation, substance use, and addiction. 

“‘You know,’ [Darren] mused in a melancholy tone. ‘I can’t figure out if that backbone of yours will be your saving grace or your downfall.’”

Joey’s conversation with Darren as they stand outside BCS on Joey’s first day of school characterizes Joey as someone who is strong-willed but also hotheaded. Darren’s words foreshadow just how much these characteristics will impact Joey in the novel. While they will be his “saving grace”—keeping himself and his siblings safe from his father—they will also be his “downfall,” as they affect his ability to build friendships, succeed in school, and build a future for himself.

“I was twelve years old and a frontline soldier in the war that raged within my family home. The enemy I found myself up against was bigger and stronger, and my ally had abandoned me when I needed him most.”

This metaphor—which compares Joey’s home life to an actual war—conveys the true difficulty of Joey’s situation. While the comparison is hyperbolic in that there is no actual war, it shows just how deeply Joey is impacted by his father—framed here as an “enemy.” He feels as though he is fighting a literal battle to save his life and those of his siblings.

“If Tony knew me, really fucking knew me, he’d quickly realize that his daughter was a hell of a lot better off on her own than with me. I was a bad bet; my mother had as good as told me so on several occasions.”

Ironically, Joey believes that Tony doesn’t “really” know him, yet Tony sees his anger, suspensions from school, and tough attitude. Joey’s belief that he is a “bad bet” just because his mother told him so conveys the theme of The Impact of Family Dynamics on Personal Development. He believes that being his father’s son somehow makes him a bad person and that Tony doesn’t know who he is—even though Tony knows the type of person Joey is and accepts him for it.