Student Question
Why does Paul decide to joke with Victor in "Tangerine"?
Quick answer:
Paul decides to joke with Victor as a way to connect and build friendships, recognizing that Victor uses humor to form bonds. Initially, Victor's jokes seem mean-spirited, leading Joey to leave Tangerine Middle School. However, after succeeding as a goalie, Paul earns Victor's respect and feels more comfortable with the team. This experience highlights the distinction between friendly teasing and cruel mockery, a recurring theme in the story.
Paul makes a joke with Victor because he recognizes that Victor creates friendships through jokes. Victor’s jokes can often come across as mean-spirited to people who don’t know him. This is the reason why Joey leaves Tangerine Middle School-because he can’t take Victor’s jokes and only sees them as bullying.
After a few days of hazing, Paul feels better about these jokes. Since he’s
done well at goalie, he knows that he’s earned Victor’s respect. This makes him
feel more comfortable and able to relax around the people who initially
intimidated him at Tangerine.
The line between funny, between-friends teasing (like when the Tangerine players call Paul "Fisher Boy") and cruel teasing (like when Arthur Bauer and Erik make fun of Mike Costello after his brother's death) is a recurring theme in Tangerine.
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