Adolescence is already or can be a troubling period in itself. We go through so many changes physically and also in our cognitive development. Everything we are subjected to can shape our development. We are a product of our environment. 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 go 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 seeks 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 Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Caroline hasn't had much luck with men in the past. In their quest for uranium, they also left behind Caroline's abusive boyfriend, Roy. Unbeknownst to her, Roy travels to Utah and comes back into their lives for a little while. He buys Toby a Winchester rifle. Toby is very excited about this gift. He cherishes it. This gives him a sense of power or control that he so desperately craves. 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 again. It's there that she meets Dwight, a man who seems to be achieving her goals. But it's a facade. He puts on a show to attract Caroline. Caroline finds it harder to control Toby. He acts out at school, commits petty crimes, and hangs out with the wrong people. All in Toby's attempt to find himself and figure out where he stands. He still feels bad for his behavior and wishes he wasn't like that. Toby loves his mother, but her need for freedom and to reinvent herself creates a chaotic life for them. Toby also suffers from abandonment issues following his father's departure. When Dwight comes into the picture, Toby can see right through him, and Caroline maybe can too, but she's ready to make it work. She wants to offer Toby 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 quickly becomes apparent that Dwight is not who he appears to be. He is very domineering and cruel. Despite this, Caroline feels she must endure this dysfunctional relationship. She feels like she can't run anymore. She is determined to make this marriage work. Dwight soon starts picking on Toby. He entrusts him with numerous tasks, provides him with a long paper trail and makes him join the boy scouts. Dwight doesn't give Toby his money on paper. He tells him he'll keep it for himself for when he really needs it. However, this is a lie. Dwight uses the money for himself. Dwight is emotionally, verbally and physically abusive towards Toby. Toby's mother seems unaware of Dwight's violence towards Toby. Her mother later says she won't be a referee. This frustrates Toby even more 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 getting into a prep school like his brother. His grades and behavior in school won't help him get into any school, much less a prep school. He manages to convince his friend Arthur to falsify his grades. He won a scholarship to Hill School. Dwight.