Throughout Boy Overboard, Morris Gleitzman shows a firm understanding of conflicts. Including heritage against personal experiences and how they fight to develop the personality of the individual. In the book, Jamal, a young Afghani boy is going through a rough time. With his unreachable dream of winning the world soccer cup and the pressure of living up to the title “Desert Warrior” instead of a mere “Baker” so he can free his family of the government.

In the book, Morris Gleitzman writes Jamal’s ancestors as Bakers for a purpose. The Bakers From Jamal’s dad’s side help a lot with Jamal’s development. Like when they are on the smugglers boat and Jamal cooks bread so they can still have food. And when they were on the boat Jamal says “I think of Dad’s ancestors, countless generations of bakers who got up at 3am even though they needed more sleep and who stuck at it, dragging sacks of flour, kneading dough, twisting their backs to reach into scalding ovens, loaf after loaf after loaf after …show more content…
In chapter 4, though much softer than Bibi, Jamal shows his warrior side by sliding his foot onto the landmine for Bibi so his family wouldn’t get in trouble from the government. Jamal doesn’t want to be a baker, he wants to be a powerful desert warrior. And the reason that Jamal wants to be like his ancestors is because he remembers what his mum told him about her ancestors. “Fierce brave desert warriors, tall and proud in the saddles of their mighty Arab steeds”. Which Jamal, or mostly any kid would wish to be like. Bibi has also obviously been influenced this from a young age, like when she said “You squishy lumps of camel snot, give us our ball back”. She has obviously been told stories about her mother’s ancestors, which it seems as though she has developed her personality from a lot. Having ancestors that are desert warriors has inspired them to be live up to the