Joseph is a new student in Ireland who comes from a different culture in Africa. He struggles to understand the language, customs, and culture of his new classmates. Joseph does not allow the bullies like Christian Kelly to intimidate him. Over time, Joseph learns to navigate his new world and begins to bond with some of the other boys in his class.

1. Joseph is dropped in a new world, which creates a
real challenge:

2. NEW BOY: the characters in the story
JOSEPH New to the school, 5 years late, 9
From a different culture / black – January is cold in his country.
Doesn’t understand everything:
The language: eejit, you’re dead
The habits: hands in the air, disrespect for the teacher
The culture: do they know it’s Christmas time
Traumatized
Lost his father/teacher
Alone – on his own in a new world
Doesn’t allow others to bully him
Doesn’t speak
Interior monologue
Thinks of Christian Kelly as “the dangerous boy”
Ask why he has to apologize for taking Christian’s finger
Sense of fairness
Learning the language subtleties quickly (“pull up your socks”)
He talks in varies instances
He’s not afraid of Christian Kelly
Milk carton / fight with Christian => soldier / bell => dead father
Joseph predicts what the teacher will say
Three boys united in silence – Joseph says “Now”
They smile and bond! => thinks of his father

3. NEW BOY: the characters in the story
SETH
QUINN
No math’s book – thrown through the window.
“I can see her knickers” (knickers = …) “Yellow”
Small, angry boy, head shaved, red nose
Not good at math (embarrassed by the teachers, Joseph believes)
“She thinks she robbing a f***ing bank”
They smile and bond!
CHRISTIAN
KELLY
So what boy.
Pushes finger in Joseph’s back / snot finger
Whispers: “Live Aid – do they know it’s Christmas time”
“You’re dead”
“F*** off”
“I will kill you”
About Hazel: “Specky fancies you” (specks = …)
“Not an angel”
Throws milk carton at Joseph + Joseph believes he is frightened
“She’s an eejit”
They smile and bond!

4. NEW BOY: the characters in the story
HAZEL
O’HARA
Keen interest in Joseph: “Where is he from?”
She wears glasses
She good at maths
White hair / pink skin
Has seen the incident in the playground – wants to explain to Miss
“She’s a bitch”
MISS “Now”
“Hands in the air”
“God give me strength”
Lacks control over the class
Called a bitch by Hazel
Sees the boys as Three Musketeers
PAMELA Big girl, black, laughed at.

5. Joseph notices remarkable differences between the old and new world:
IRELAND AFRICA
LANGUAGE & CULTURE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
“You’re dead!”
“Do they know it’s Christmas?”
“She’s an eejit”
TEACHER TEACHER
CLASS DYNAMICS CLASS DYNAMICS
SCHOOL BELL SCHOOL BELL

6. Joseph notices remarkable differences between the old and new world:
IRELAND AFRICA
PSYCHOLOGICAL AGE PSYCHOLOGICAL AGE
ETHNICITY ETHNICITY
THEME OF THE STORY
Outsider -> insider = bonding = belonging = fit in <-> common enemy

7. Similarities in story and movie
Similarities and differences story <> movie
Differences in the movie