The bowling trophy is a figure of a bowler that was held onto a base by a metal spike; a brass plaque reads: “City Finals—1977; Douglas Healy—2nd Place” (26). This trophy is a recurring motif that stays with the boys throughout the ups and downs of their journey, sometimes metaphorically and sometimes playing an integral role in the plot.

Its first appearance comes when the boys move into the shared bedroom. Gecko and Terence get in a fight, which knocks the bowling trophy onto the floor, causing the bowling figure to become separated from its base. Terence asks why it’s in their room, and Healy tells them that he worked hard for it, and he thought it would inspire them. As he speaks he tries to put the two pieces back together, but they fall apart, suggesting a difficult road ahead in rehabilitating the boys.

After the boys have taken Healy to the hospital and are sitting at home waiting for him to call, the trophy motif appears again. Arjay’s heavy footsteps loosen the glued-on figure, which topples to the floor with a bang: “In the four a.m. quiet, the noise is a bomb blast” (82). Its presence here as a literary device shows how their situation has gotten very dire very quickly.