Billionaire Boy

“You will have noticed that Joe is on his own in that picture. To tell the truth, speeding around a racetrack isn’t that much fun when you are on your own, even if you do have a squillion pounds. You really need someone to race against. The problem was, Joe didn’t have any friends. Not one.”

This passage establishes the theme of Material Riches Versus Social Wealth by describing Joe’s excessive wealth and contrasting it with his lack of human connection. By showing how Joe cannot really enjoy his wealth because he has no one to share it with, the text establishes the premise that Joe’s lack of friendship is a pain point in his life that money cannot solve.

“‘Bottom Billionaire, The Bum-Wipe Heir, Master Plop-Paper,’ continued Joe. ‘And that’s just the teachers.’ Most of the boys at Joe’s school were Princes, or at least Dukes or Earls. Their families had made their fortunes from owning lots of land. That made them ‘old money.’ Joe had quickly come to learn that money was only worth having if it was old. New money from selling loo rolls didn’t count.”

Joe explains to his dad how he is mercilessly bullied at his expensive and snobby private school. By describing Joe’s pain in a funny way, the passage introduces the theme of Confronting Social Inequality Through Humor. This theme explores elitist prejudices and how they have prevented Joe from making a single friend at his school.

“He’d had enough of being laughed at when he was at St. Cuthbert’s. However, the stitch was becoming more and more painful with every step. It was as if it was burning a hole in his side. ‘How about I give you a fiver to come last?’ he said.”

Joe is desperate to not come last in the cross-country race on his first day at his new school. By bribing Bob to slow down and come in last instead, Joe shows that he is still accustomed to solving all his problems with his money. This passage shows Joe’s reliance on his wealth and emphasizes his desperation to earn the respect of his peers and make friends.