We've met a lot of characters in Room. Some of them have been distinctively likable from the beginning, perhaps Dr. Clay for example. On the other hand, some have triggered a nerve the second they appeared, with Old Nick being the first character that comes to mind. Then, there are some where the line isn't initially so clear cut, such as in the case of Steppa.
When we were first introduced to Leo, Grandma's new partner and Jack's new Stepgrandpa, we didn't get the greatest first impression. As Jack describes in his own words on page 214, "He smells funny like smoke, his teeth are crookedy and his eyebrows go all ways."
Evidently, Leo (or Steppa according to Jack) isn't the most dashing individual out there. Ma doesn't seem to like Steppa terribly much either, saying that "he's nearly 70 and stinks of dope." Really need to invest in some deodorant or something, doesn't he? But getting back to the main point, the book does not paint Steppa as some kind of knight in shining armor. In fact, based off of the descriptions given, I was initially worried Steppa was going to be some kind of deadbeat who only sat at home mooching food and contributing nothing. However, there's the idiom that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, and I think that idiom holds true in this situation.
As it turns out, Steppa gets along with Jack perfectly fine. Overall, he's just really chill. He and Jack bond over cooking utensils, legos, and "disgusting men stuff" like pulling off sunburnt skin. Steppa is perfectly willing to accept and interact with Jack, and when Jack starts throwing his fits, Steppa is also perfectly happy to wait out Jack's crying and hitting, and then move on with life afterwards. He looks out for Jack by teaching him things about modern world and also cautions Jack about playing with matches. On that note, he takes the friendliness/ buddy dynamic even further by not tattling on Jack about the matches to grandma. Not too bad, huh? I personally really like Steppa, cuz I see in his relationship with Jack a dynamic that I share with one of my older cousins, where I'll screw something up and he'll reprimand me but forget all about when my mother asks about it. Love the guy.
Even though the initial impressions weren't the greatest, I've definitely grown to like Steppa. He sure as hell does a better job with the whole "father-figure" thing than Jack's real grandfather, even though he never even wanted kids. Hopefully in the future when Ma sees how well Steppa and Jack get along, she can give him a bit more of that credit he deserves.
Apologies in advance for any weird formatting or spelling errors; I typed this exclusively on my phone lol. Best of luck on your finals!
I also really liked Steppa. I think that his laid-back attitude and hands-off parenting during Jack's stay helped Jack a lot when he was super frustrated. Steppa throwing him and suggesting pie and watching the game diffused the whole situation. Going into the real world, suddenly all these boundaries are removed but then there are also a million more rules Jack doesn't know about and must learn. It's a lot of stress for a 5-year-old and Grandma and Jack don't get a long the best right away. Steppa's more laid-back than Grandma like telling her not to cry about Jack getting a sunburn and not freaking out over Jack playing with matches. People fussing over Jack is not what he needs in a new environment, so Steppa's relationship with him is beneficial to Jack's growth as an individual.
ReplyDeleteMa's initial distaste for Steppa is understandable, in that she's learning that her parents are divorced and her dad has moved back to Australia AND that her mom is with a new guy (who doesn't make a great first impression on her) all within a day of her escape. If it's a little much for her to handle, we can forgive her that.
ReplyDeleteJack, of course, doesn't have the same prejudices based on Leo's appearance (even his unflattering description, which you quote, doesn't have a negative implication for Jack--he's just calling it as he sees it), so we see him approach Leo with an open mind, and they become buds. I would expect that Jack's affection for Leo will translate over to Ma--once she gives him a chance, and sees how good he is with Jack (and tastes his cooking), she'd have to agree with your assessment.
We pretty much have the same thoughts about Steppa. In the beginning, just meeting Steppa, I didn't have too high expectations for him. Now though, seeing that he was able to work so well with Jack and make such great progress with him, my feelings of Steppa have changed. I think that his approach to parenting have proven to work really well and Jack seems to have responded really well to him.
ReplyDeleteSteppa quickly became one of the characters in this book that I respected the most. It is amazing how quickly he can adapt to parenting Jack, something that nobody else in the outside world seems to be able to do.
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