Springfield (Symbol)
The novel is set in a town called Springfield. In the United States, there are 34 different towns with this name, spanning 25 states. The choice of “Springfield” for the setting of the novel is symbolic because it could be anywhere in America. The authors want to make the point that the issues of racism, police brutality, and the unresolved tensions they bring up in communities are universal problems within the U.S. Choosing the name Springfield reinforces this message.
The Uniform: ROTC, Army, Police (Motif)
The motif of people in uniform—ROTC, Army, and law enforcement—weaves throughout All American Boys. Are those who wear those uniforms respectable? Are they heroes, or bullies? Are they fighting to protect society and America’s highest ideals or enforcing unequal power dynamics? Rashad’s father sees ROTC and the Army as the path to respectability; he understands how Black men are viewed by many in the U.S. and believes that if his sons are in uniform they will not be stereotyped as criminals and will also have more opportunities in life. Quinn’s father was in the Army and fought and died in Afghanistan. Throughout the novel, characters are reminding Quinn that his father was a hero, who fought and sacrificed his life in the name of freedom. The photo of his father in uniform at Mother’s Pizza shows the respect and honor the community attributes to his father and his uniform. However, Paul beating up Rashad shows a darker side of those in uniform. For many of the people of color in the novel, their experiences with law enforcement do not match the supposed high ideals that officers in the novel profess. Paul abused his power as a police officer, not only beating up Rashad but taunting him, telling Rashad he needed to learn to respect authority. While those who defend Paul say he was just doing his job, the frequency with which these abuses happen calls into question that justification. This motif connects to themes of the novel such as police brutality and the political divide.
“He was just doing his job” (Motif)
Throughout the novel, the refrain that Paul was just doing his job when he attacked Rashad is frequently repeated. Characters who are defending Paul use this idea to position Paul as an upstanding police officer with the tough job of trying to protect the community. This motif is introduced when Guzzo, drunk at Jill’s party the night of the attack, talks about how amazing his brother is for putting up with so much as a police officer. The motif arises again at the Galluzzo’s barbecue when Mrs. Galluzzo gets defensive at what she perceives as Jill’s critique of Paul. She tells Jill to have more respect and says sometimes Paul has to make tough decisions in his job. This refrain is repeated again and again by members of Paul’s family, by the police department, Paul, and initially by Quinn himself. The comments paint Paul as the victim for being scrutinized and criticized while doing a very challenging job. Their comments reflect an attitude that refuses to come to terms with the racial bias of many police officers. These unexamined biases lead officers to view Black people as criminals, resulting in patterns of excessive force. Drastically different interpretations of the events unfolding fuel racial tension and political divides in the community.
Starting with the Mouth (Symbol)
After Mrs. Fitzgerald leaves Rashad’s hospital room, Rashad continues drawing the image of him and Paul. Originally, he had drawn the figures as silhouettes, without faces. However, he changes his mind, saying, “I began to draw features on the face of the man having his chest punched through. Starting with the mouth.” Rashad's choice to draw a mouth on the figure symbolizes his decision to speak out. He had wanted to go to the protest, but was scared about what would happen to him if he did. However, after talking to Mrs. Fitzgerald, he decides that even if nothing changes it’s worth it: to speak his truth about what happened to him and so many other Black youth.
Active Versus Passive Voice (Symbol)
In English class, Quinn’s teacher writes examples on the board of active and passive voice. It reads, “Mistakes were made. Who? Who made the mistakes?” In his head, Quinn rearranges the sentences to change them from passive to active voice thinking, “Mistakes were made. Rashad was beaten. Paul beat Rashad.” This exercise symbolizes the shift within Quinn and the community from passively observing what happened to taking action. Once Quinn acknowledges Paul as the aggressor, and more broadly systemic racism and abuses among police, he can no longer stand by and pretend it’s not his problem. Characters in the novel use their agency to speak out, to call out those responsible for the abuses of power they regularly experience. They refuse to continue letting events happen to them, and decide to take an active role in changing things.
