Boner McPharlin’s Moll by Tim Winton
In Boner McPharlin’s Moll by Tim Winton we have the theme of connection, desire, love, corruption, escape, guilt and innocence. Taken from his The Turning collection the story is narrated in the first person by a woman called Jackie Martin, who is looking back at a part of her life, and from the beginning of the story the reader realizes that Winton may be exploring the theme of connection. Jackie longs to make a connection with Boner (Gordon). She likes the fact that he is a rebel and does not appear to care about anything or anybody. If anything Jackie has strong desires when it comes to Boner. Something that is clear to the reader by way of Jackie accepting lifts from Boner. Much to the annoyance of her friend Erin. Who believes that Boner lives on the wrong side of the law and that Jackie should not be mixing with Boner. Though Jackie doesn’t listen to Erin there are consequences. Jackie and Erin fall out with one another. Leaving Jackie to mix with girls she does not really like. Girls who show nude pictures of men to each other and Jackie.
Jackie’s family life isn’t happy and this might contribute to her seeing Boner all the time. He, without saying anything, takes Jackie’s mind off of her disillusioned father and her Valium addicted mother. It is also noticeable that throughout the story Jackie places Boner’s needs in front of her own. She never pressurizes him to do anything that he wouldn’t want to do. Though there is no sexual engagement between Jackie and Boner she liked placing her thighs across Boner’s legs when she was piercing his ear. This is as far as Jackie has gone with Boner and she still remains happy in his company. However things do change when Jackie becomes bored with Boner and tells him that she has to study and stops seeing Boner. This too may be significant as Jackie knows that Angelus is a dead end town and the only way she can get out is by going to University. Throwing all her time and energies into studying.
There may be some symbolism in the story that might be important. The girls who show Jackie the nude pictures could be seen to symbolize those who have no hope for the future and who will remain in Angelus. The beating that Boner takes and which Jackie thinks was by the police is also important as it symbolizes the power that the police had in the town. If anything Boner may have refused to sell the smack they wanted him to sell. So they beat him up to teach him a lesson. Boner was wise enough not to report the police because he knew it would only make life more difficult for him. Jackie’s super imposed photo on the pornographic magazine may be seen to symbolize a young man’s inability to love someone. It also offends Jackie and determines, for her, the direction her friendship with Boner will go.
The end of the story is interesting as though Boner is confined to a mental health institute. He can still talk some sense. Particularly when he talks about the Santa’s helpers coming to visit him. Boner knows it was the police and probably the same policemen who beat him up. However it takes Jackie longer to realize what Boner is saying to her. Only realizing on the day of Boner’s funeral. To say that Jackie is disgusted is an understatement but she also questions herself and her relationship with Boner. Was she really his friend? Was she there for him when he needed her? Jackie simply doesn’t know or at least she can’t convince herself that she was there for Boner. Finally Jackie thinks about her journey from Angelus to the city when she was a University student and realizes she ‘left more of herself behind than the journey required.’ This line is significant as it suggests that Jackie feels guilty about some aspects of her life. Particularly her abandonment of Boner.