Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli is a novel that deals with many contemporary issues such as racial prejudice, homelessness, and learning. Spinelli has a humanistic view, and his book, a modern folk tale, is both sad and funny. The plot centers around a 12-year old boyÆs deep yearning to belong and to learn, and both desires are tied to finding a permanent home. By the very end of the book his dream comes true. ôHe knew that finally, truly, at long last someone was calling him homeö (184).
Jeffrey Lionel Magee is the bookÆs main character. Orphaned at age three when his parents are killed in a trolley accident, he goes to live with his aunt and uncle for eight years. It is a very unhappy time for Jeffrey because his aunt and uncle hate each other, do not speak to each other and only remain together because they are Catholic and donÆt believe in divorce. Finally, Jeffrey has enough and during his schoolÆs spring musicale he screams ôTalk! Talk! Talk!ö (7) at his aunt and uncle and runs away. That marks the start of JeffreyÆs running and also the start of his life as a homeless person. Jeffrey ends up 200 miles away in the town of Two Mills, Pennsylvania, a small town divided into two sections, the East End where blacks live and the West End where whites live. That is where JeffreyÆs adventures really begin, especially his search for a home and a loving family. It is also where he gets the nickname of Maniac.
Nicknames play a big part in this novel. Jeffrey is only in Two Mills a few days before he becomes a legend, based mainly on his incredibly fast running, remarkable athletic skills, and fearless, friendly nature. In talking about him, one of the town kids says, ôKidÆs gotta be a maniacö (28), and the nickname sticks. Although the other kids call Jeffrey by his nickname of Maniac, other important people do not. Amanda Beale and her family, who befriend Jeffrey and give him a home call him only by his real name. Ã...