SCHOOL NOTES FOR LITERATURE Step by Wicked Step by Anne Fine Chapter 7 : Robbo's Story Dumpa's The Problem

1. STEP BY WICKED STEP
Chapter 7 : Robbo’s Story
Dumpa’s the Problem

2. SYNOPSIS

3. Robbo’s parents broke off when he was six. Whenever his dad visits them, the adults
end up in arguments. Finally, dad stopped his visits. Robbo and Callie had to visit his house
which was cold and horrible. Callie hated her stepfather Roy whom she called the Beard. He
started to interfere with a lot of things. Their mother then gave birth to Dumpa, Robbo’s half
brother. Both the children love their half brother, Dumpa. Dumpa adores Roy. One day, Roy
left the house after a row with Mum. Dumpa missed him a lot. The children made a plan so
that their Dad and Mum can bump into each other at the arcade. Everything worked out as
planned but not for long. Soon, Mum and Dad had their usual argument.The children did not
give up hope. In fact, they tried something else. This time their plan worked. Mum and Dad
had something to hand over to each other So, the children were pretty sure that their
parents would patch up. At that time, Mum got cheesed off with Roy. Unfortunately Dumpa’s
the problem. He is three years old.
One day Roy caught Callie pushing her bike down the very narrow space between his
car and the bushes beside it as it almost scratched Roy’s car. Roy warned her but as she was
in a hurry, she took the short cut. In her anger, she told Roy that he had no rights to tell her
what to do as he was not her father. As the argument was in progress, Mum intervened. Roy
was furious as to why he did not have the right to correct her. Roy felt angry as he felt Mum
siding with Callie and neither of them appreciated his effort in sending the kids to school and
paying for food. As days went by, things were getting worse and worse. Roy decided not to do
anything to people who were not civil to him. Roy decided not to sent Callie to school and
sledging activities when the snow started to fall. He refused to drive them to Hawksmoor Hill
with their toboggans. He even refused to buy Callie’s favourite brand of cereals as she was
not polite and civil to him. Callie was disappointed. Roy was as stubborn as Callie.

4. The next day, Roy decided to clear the shed during the middle of heavy snowfall
with Dumpa following him. Mum tried to get Dumpa in but he refused and only listen to Roy.
Then, Robbo was sent to persuade Dumpa to come inside. Robbo tried to trick Dumpa but it
was unsuccessful. Roy too, refused to get into the house which was icy cold towards him. As
Robbo stood there for so long, Roy let Dumpa to get into the house. Dumpa agreed with a price
of a strawberry rocket from the freezer. Dumpa will get into the house after he had finished
the ice lolly. Unfortunately, the ice lolly did not melt in the icy air. So Mum decided to fetch
Dumpa in but afraid of triggering another argument with Roy. Robbo told the truth that Roy
felt unwelcome in that house. Mum was flabbergasted with such a remark. Robbo persisted
and finally Mum agreed with his reasoning. Callie can never seem to get along with Roy and
Mum was always stuck in the middle. Despite all the persuasion, Callie never wanted to
compromise with Roy nor accept him as part of the family. Then, Mum realised that the only
solution to the problem is for Callie to move in with her Dad. Before that, she went a dozen
times to Dad’s house to make sure Callie’s favourites were in the house. Mum also read out a
list of duties for Dad. Dad then suggested that Mum and Roy should go on a holiday to solve
their problem and have a break. The story ended with Robbo’s optimistic view of his family as
they can now start afresh.
Ralph compared Robbo’s story to Richard Harwick’s story because his sister, Callie
and Richard both hate their stepfathers and had to leave their family. However, unlike
Richard who ran away from his family, Callie tried something different in order to make things
work at home. Ralph also mentioned that everyone in their group had tried their best to solve
their family problems. Claudia then put the journal back into its place, but took out Charlotte’s
little wooden cow, removed a tiny splinter and gave the little wooden cow to Ralph who then
thrust it into Colin’s bag, hoping that Colin could find his stepfather again.

5. SETTING

6. SETTING
• Mum’s house
• Dad’s house

7. PLOT

8. PLOT
Exposition
Robbo and his sister Callie live with their
biological mum, Hope. Their mum marries
Roy and they have a son called Dumpa.
Rising
Action
Callie does not like Roy and tried very
hard to break Roy’s relationship with her
mum so that she can join back her mum
with her biological dad. She tries very
hard but fail. Roy and Hope do argue
because of Callie.
Climax
Dumpa is the problem. Roy loves Dumpa
so much that he returns back home
after having a fight with Mum . Mum
gives up patching up Callie with Roy for
if she takes side, she may lose Dumpa.
The problem is every one loved Dumpa.

9. PLOT
Falling
Action
After discovering that Callie
cannot tolerate Roy at all, Mum
agrees to allow Callie to live with
her Dad.
Resolution
Dumpa is not the problem. Callie,
Robbo and even their Dad agreed
that Dumpa can stay with them any
time.
Ending
Ralph points out that Robbo’s
sister, Callie has something in
common with Richard Harwick.
They come to a conclusion that
they should not end up like Richard
Harwick.

10. THEMES

11. THEMES
Acceptance and tolerance
• Robbo’s mum marries Roy, Robbo’s step father.
However, Robbo’s sister does not likes their
stepfather and always argue with each other. She can
never accept Roy as a part of the family and cannot
tolerate with him at all.
Playing a good role in a family
• Robbo’s mum does not give a single chance to Roy to
become the head of the family because she does not
allow Roy to interfere with their family matters.

12. Taking a good care of children
• Even though Robbo’s mum and their
biological father split up, they are still
taking a good care about their children,
Robbo and Callie that stay with their
mother. Plus, they visit their biological
father’s house regularly. Besides that, Roy
whom is their stepfather never miss to
send Callie to school and always buys her
favourite food.

13. CHARACTERS &
CHARACTERISTICS

14. • Robbo
• Callie
• Robbo’s mum (Hope)
• Roy
• Dumpa
• Robbo’s dad

15. ROBBO
Matured - He is
able to live in any
condition and does
not have problem
with the divorce
between his Mum
and Dad. He can
also accept Roy as
his stepfather.
Intelligent - He suggested that
their family should begin
afresh and start over again
with Callie living in their Dad’s
house as Callie dislikes Roy in
their Mum’s house
Helpful – Robbo
helps Mum to
persuade Dumpa to
come inside the
house during the
heavy snowfall.

16. CALLIE
Hopeful - She tries very
hard to patch her Mum
and Dad back with a hope
that her biological
parents will get back
together.
Stubborn - Callie is
unable to stand her
step-father. This
is mainly due to the
fact that she does not
want her parents
separated.
Compromises - She
loves her Dad very
much. In the end she
compromise with her
mum and decides to
live with her Dad.
Immature - She really
hates Roy and unable
to accept him as their
step-father. She even
called him “The Beard”
Mean - Sometimes
Callie stands behind
a door and does this
imitation of Roy
under her breath.

17. Caring - She tried to
persuade Dumpa to
get in the house.
She worried about
Dumpa and does not
want him to freeze
during the heavy
snowfall
Protective - Callie’s mum was
the umpire between Roy and Callie.
She wanted to protect her
daughter as a mother. The
protection created a shell for
Callie where she began to attack
Roy where as Roy was not able
to discipline her. Compromises - She
Robbo’s HOPE
mum
tries very hard to be
fair to her husband and
her children. And
eventually gives up
maintaining peace
between her husband
and Callie. She
compromises with Callie
and allows her to stay
with her Dad

18. He loves his
biological son,
Dumpa so
much
ROY Robbo’s
stepfather
Roy is fair to his step-children.
However he
is unable to be on the good
side of Callie as she never
gives him any chance.
Sulking - He stop
sending Callie to
her school and
refused to buy her
favourite brand of
cereal after their
argument.
Responsible - He get up
half an hour earlier to
drive Callie and Robbo
to their school and trail
round the supermarket
for Callie’s favourite
foods

19. Robbo’s half DUMPA
brother
Lovely - Dumpa is
only 3 years old and
very intelligent.
Dumpa loves his
father so much. And
everybody loves him.
Cunning - Dumpa promises to get into the
house after he has finished his strawberry
rocket ice lolly. Callie, Mum and Robbo
watched for nearly an hour as Dumpa
outsmarted them. He didn’t take so much lick
from that strawberry rocket so that it will
not finished quickly and the ice lolly didn’t
even begin to melt in the icy air.

20. ROBBO’S DAD
ROBBO’S
DAD
Robbo’s dad never
get along with
Robbo’s mum and
they always argue
everytime they
meet.
Compromises - Dad was
happy to accept Callie
into his house and had
no problem with Callie
moving into his house

21. MORAL
VALUES

22. • Robbo helps Callie to tell their mother the truth
about Callie’s problem for accepting Roy as their
stepfather. Callie can never accept him as a part
of the family. After the confrontation, Robbo’s
mum decided that the only solution of the
problem is for Callie to move in with her Dad.
We must be a
confrontational
person whenever
there is problem.
• Roy is a responsible stepfather. He get up half an
hour earlier just to drive Callie and Robbo to their
school and trail round the supermarket for
Callie’s favourite foods.
We must be
responsible
when becoming
a parent to our
children.

23. THE END