The First Part Last

Author: Angela Johnson
Original Date of Publication: 2003


Main Characters:
Bobby: A 16-year old boy who struggles with the problems associated with teen pregnancy.
Nia Wilkins: Bobby's girlfriend and mother of Feather.
Feather: The daughter of Bobby and Nia.
Mary: Mother of Bobby with a hard exterior and tough attitude.
Fred: Father of Bobby with a soft heart and nurturing soul.
L.J. and K-Boy: Close friends of Bobby.
Coco Fernandez: Neighbor to Bobby who helps out often with his problems.
Jackie: Babysitter of Feather.
Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins: Parents of Nia.
Paul: Bobby's brother who also struggles with raising children by himself.

Setting

In this book there are a lot of different settings that play a major role.  Bobby describes about four different house settings throughout the book.  Bobby's parents are separated but he describes both houses to have color and lots of pictures of family vacations that cover all surfaces in the houses.  His parents' houses may look similar but the personalities carried through both houses are different.  He talks about how his dad's house smells of food.  The personality in his dad's house is more caring and "babying" almost. His mother's house, on the other hand, is more strict. Bobby's mother is always mentioning that she will not take care of his baby for him.  She may be strict but there is no doubt that she does not love her son and his baby.  He goes on to describe his girlfriend Nia's house.  He says it is very white and there are paintings.  He makes it come across like there is not as much life or joy.  When comparing his house to his girlfriend's house you can tell that there may be a class difference.  Nia may be in the upper middle class, while Bobby may just be solid middle class.  The next house is the house in Ohio that he moves into in the very last chapter.  He does not describe this house with very much detail but we know it is not in a city, and that it has a small yard where there is grass and trees.

Time is another setting that is developed through the book.  The chapters are divided up into now and then chapters.  The book starts out with a now chapter where he talks about the present and him with his daughter.  It then goes to a then chapter where they talk about the time during the pregnancy. The chapters alternate with each other, giving it a nice flow of the present and the past.  In reality you are getting a sense of two different time settings, which help develop and enhance the meaning of the book.

Themes

Teen Pregnancy is a major theme in the book.  Bobby’s girlfriend, Nia, is pregnant with a baby and they are trying to figure out whether to keep the baby or give it up for adoption.  They are both 16 years old, so Nia is spending time at the doctor's and after the baby is born, Bobby is spending time changing diapers after school.  He has support from his family and friends but he has to take care of the baby on his own, and his mother has made that clear.

Being a man is the next major theme in the book.  Although there is not a reference to Bobby’s father with respect to this theme, Bobby takes it from Just Frank, a man who drinks 40’s at 10:00 in the morning but ultimately dies when he tries to save a girl from her assaulter.  Just Frank always asked Bobby if he was being a man and Bobby thinks he sees him when he decides to take care of the baby.  Bobby has to grow up quickly as he takes care of his baby, Feather.

Questions and Issues

The First Part Last addresses issues that involve the young adults within the book that perhaps may be relatable to the readers, who may be young adults as well.  The main issue covered in this book is teen pregnancy.  Bobby, the main character, finds out that his girlfriend, Nia is pregnant, and they both have to deal with the consequences of unprotected sex and a hard decision that they are now forced to make.  The issue of teen pregnancy is shown here in this book written for young adults because it is part of a reality that we are faced with every day.  The statistics of teen pregnancy have grown immensely throughout the years, and it is a subject that teenagers are often faced with.  Another issue is adoption.  Because Bobby and Nia are so young, they aren’t sure whether or not they are able to take care of a child.  They decided on adoption so that the baby can have a better life.   Single parenthood is another issue that is addressed in The First Part Last.  When Bobby’s girlfriend is unable to fulfill her role as a mother, he takes it upon himself to raise Feather, their newborn daughter.  Raising Feather on his own forces Bobby to put his teenage years to rest and become a good father for his child.  The First Part Last does a great job of explaining the challenges that single parents face while raising a child.