The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid
Published on Dec 05, 2015
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PRESENTATION OUTLINE
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid
Rhetorical Analysis Project
The Life and Times of Thunderbolt Kid is a memoir about Bill Bryson's experience growing up in Des Moines, Iowa in the baby-boomer generation.
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Background
- 1950's Des Moines, Iowa
- Childhood of a baby-boomer
Bill Bryson was born in 1951 to parents who were both successful journalists. The Cold War and fear of communism was very prevalent at this time in the country, however the author was unaware of its presence. Throughout the memoir, the author retells comedic stories about his mother’s frugal tendencies and his frustration with authority which led to the creation of the alternate persona of Thunderbolt Kid.
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The Conflict
- Seems to have little to no real conflict
- America was facing political issues
- Lives in Iowa, a peaceful area
While the main character seems to have an easygoing lifestyle with relatively few problems, his young mind does not have the capacity to understand the intimidating events that American society was facing, which is a major issue in the book. Iowa is a landlocked and generally calm state, which adds to this issue of feeling too safe while tensions are rising.
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The Conflict
- Bryson did not understand the Cold War
- His frustrations led to creation of superhero
- Situation-Act ratio
Even though his parents talked about the Cold War, Bryson was more focused on smaller matters. He was frustrated with his lack of power which to his creation of the superhero, Thunderbolt Kid. His environment causes this which is why this novel has a situation-act ratio.
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Context
- Bryson broke his arm
- Has fear of doctors
- Talks about the few dangers of Iowa
In this scene, Bill had just broken his arm after an accident with the neighborhood kids. He has an irrational fear of his doctor. He then continues to talk about the dangers of living in Iowa.
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Quote
- “Apart from medical practitioners, Iowa offered little in the way of natural dangers, though one year when I was about six we had an infestation of a giant insect called cicada killers” (Bryson 40).
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Analysis
- Lack of danger in Iowa
- Cold War did not directly relate to Bryson
- Isolation causes apathy over serious issue
This quote illustrates the lack of danger in Iowa, and the little that existed stayed in the background. This is very reflective of Bill Bryson’s attitude toward the Cold War, and that even though the issue did not directly relate to him, it was still very important for him to be aware of these possible dangers. Being isolated in this rather dull state allowed the narrator to not care about the tension between the United States and other countries.
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Context
- Bryson and his friends get bullied by teenagers
- Avoid the bullies out of extreme fear
The narrator and his friends just got hassled by a group of teenagers. Due to fear of this happening again, they try to avoid the group at all costs. Bryson explains this horrible fear by making a comparison.
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Quote
- “Only one thing came close to matching the fear of teenagers in the 1950’s and that of course was communism. Worrying about communism was an exhaustingly demanding business in the 1950’s. Red danger lurked everywhere- in books and magazines, in government departments, in the teachings of schools, at every place of work” (128).
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Analysis
- Compares fear of teenagers and communism
- Shows growth in what we fear
- Young age hinders one's understanding of big issues
Bryson makes a comparison between his fear of teenagers and America’s of communism, not only to show the extent of his childhood phobia, but to emphasize the stress Americans were under during the Cold War. This quote illuminates the evolvement of fears throughout life, and Bryson’s understanding of how big of an issue communism was to America during his childhood. His young age kept him from being able to comprehend the importance of these political problems.
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Context
- Bryson thinks he is a superhero from a different galaxy
- Believes his jersey gives him powers
At this point in the novel, the author argues that he is a superhero from another galaxy. He finds a jersey in his basement which he believes allows him to use his extraordinary powers.
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Quote
- “The jersey then was the foundation garment of my superpowers. It transformed me. It gave me colossal strength, rippling muscles, X-ray vision [...] It made me, in short, the kind of person that men wanted to be” (62).
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Analysis
- Narrator is serious about persona
- Superheroes were popular in
- Draws parallel between Bryson and America
- Bryson does not understand real issues
This quote shows how serious the narrator was about his other persona, which he created because he felt helpless in certain situations. Superheroes were very popular during this time due to America being involved in other countries’ conflicts. This draws a parallel between the motives of the narrator and American society: they both want to resolve issues. However, Bryson does not understand this reasoning as a child, which is why he made this persona from another planet.
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Conclusion
- Slow paced and not relatable
- Recommended to the baby-boomer generation
- Not good for others
Overall, the book was very slow paced and there is no linear plot. This book would be good for those who grew up during this time period because it would give them feelings of nostalgia. However, it would not be recommended to other generations due to it not being very relatable and quite long as well.
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