Bog Child

In Siobhan Dowd's coming-of-age/historical fiction Bog Child, a theme from beginning to end is the concept of choice. What is right? What is wrong? Is there such a thing as such a black-and-white choice? Throughout the novel, our main character Fergus is posed with moral dilemmas that have serious implications. From the very beginning, we're introduced to his ethical nature while he and his Uncle Tally are collecting peat and come across human remains. While Uncle Tally is vying for the choice embracing self-preservation (leaving as quickly as possible and not reporting the remains), which is certainly an understandable choice for many, especially in such uncertain times, Fergus's ethical nature causes him to indeed report the remains to the authorities. Then, Fergus is posed with the decision to join the resistance by carrying an unidentified package during his runs. Concerned with the idea that what he is carrying could actually be dangerous, Fergus initially decides not to investigate it any further and not carry the package. However, when he is encountering a personal trial with his brother's starvation and his cooperation with the resistance might force his brother to begin eating again, he gives in to the resistance, reasoning that his cooperation is for his brother's sake. Of course the irony of this situation is that, had he chosen to just peek at the contents of the package, he would have realized that it wasn't any dangerous item at all--birth control. Toward the end of the novel, Fergus's greatest ethical dilemma is over his brother's life; when his brother goes into a coma from the starvation, Fergus's parents debate whether to feed him [Fergus's brother] intravenously. It is interesting is that each parent has very strong beliefs and reasons for those beliefs and both are understandable, and here they've had a son like Fergus who is not more like or unlike either of them yet he carefully considers each situation, while they tend to be black and white in their decision-making habits. Fergus's father is against feeding the brother, as the brother wouldn't want to be fed if he had a choice, and the moral choice for him is to uphold honor. Fergus's mother doesn't care about the moral implications or the honor--it's her son's life, and she'd rather have another die for the cause. Here, Fergus becomes the tie-breaker, choosing his brother's life over honor. This is a terrific book for young adults, and I would say it fits best in 10th-11th graders. Young people of that age group are in a phase where choice is so important. They are often getting pressured to make choices about sexuality (shown in this story with Fergus's relationship with Cora), peer pressure (Michael), and family loyalties (Uncle Tally and Fergus's parents). What is important for young people to see here is how carefully Fergus makes his decisions. He acknowledges and considers all pros and cons, and he ultimately makes decisions based on what feels right to him, regardless of who he disappoints.