Stuntboy, in the Meantime

In the novel’s final episodes, Portico faces his villain by befriending Herbert, illustrating both characters’ growth. Portico demonstrates heroism by being willing to forgive and understand Herbert, even after everything Herbert did to him and Zola. He finds that there is another side to Herbert and learns the reasons behind Herbert’s angry disposition. Herbert even helps Portico reach a state of clarity regarding his parents when he points out that Portico’s parents are likely getting divorced. Hearing this fact spoken aloud turns Portico’s fears into reality, forcing him to confront the truth. Herbert’s comments are meant to help, but they also bring up a whirlwind of anxiety within Portico, who fights through it with the help of his friends. As Herbert and Zola hoist Portico up, he attempts to pull himself up over the bar in the boiler room. The moment symbolizes that Portico needs to find his own strength but can rely on The Foundational Supports Provided by Friendship until he does so.

The height of Portico’s anxiety comes when he is forced to deal with the realization of his parents’ separation, reflecting the connection between the themes of The Effects of Family Conflict on Children and Understanding and Experiencing Anxiety. Portico is illustrated with his arms and legs twisted and a fretful expression on his face; the narrator refers to this contorted illustration by stating, “I’m sure you can tell just by looking at him that he’s having some anxiety” (234). The physical symptoms of Portico’s anxiety are almost too much to bear, and for a time, Portico feels as though he is split in half. His parents put pressure on him to choose which parent he wants to live with, and when Portico decides to split his life in two directions, he also splits as a person. He walks around as half of himself and is almost unrecognizable to his friends and neighbors. Because his parents have turned their own home into a non-livable and unfriendly space, Portico is left with little reprieve. Even when Portico is clearly distraught, they continue to fight around him or shuffle him outside, demonstrating that while Portico has grown in his ability to cultivate calmness amid chaos, his parents remain stuck in the damaging pattern of conflict.

Portico’s story concludes without his parents resolving their differences or coming to a mutual agreement; instead, the solution comes from within Portico as he learns to manage how he reacts to situations. Rather than continue to involve himself or attempt to solve his parents’ problems, he takes on problems that he knows he is capable of solving, like helping his cat down off the stack of boxes. Portico’s problems do not simply disappear, nor are they remediated even by a temporary solution. Portico’s life will continue to change, but he is now more emotionally equipped to deal with it. He has found his inner “Stuntboy” and learned how to be a hero for himself, rather than for everyone else.