Throughout Tangerine by Edward Bloor, there are many nicknames that people have for one another. Some nicknames are used for teasing, like eclipse boy, and others are used jokingly, like Mars, Fisherman, and Tuna. The intentions of these nicknames show relationships between characters, and aspects of the characters themselves. “Eclipse Boy,” is one of the first nicknames that makes an appearance in this book. The nickname came from Erik and his friends from Huntsville. The fact that he is this nickname proves further that Paul is underestimated and treated unfairly. This is shown when it is used on page 35, when Paul says, “Erik Fisher’s younger brother, Eclipse Boy, visually impaired and totally incapable of following his brother’s footsteps.” This piece shows that Paul feels incapable compared to his Golden antagonistic brother.…show more content… “Mars” came from the soccer players at lake windsor MIddle School. This nickname is used not as an insult, although the name had bad intentions initially. “Mars” by the end of the book is used more, but out of respect. The first time some of the boys saw Paul, he said, “‘ Yow! THat kid came from Mars!’”(Bloor 49). This piece shows, once again, how Paul is underestimated. After he gains respect from the boys, they us “Mars” in a kinder way. On page 49, Paul writes, “Gino looked at the ball bouncing away in the distance, and then looked genuinely surprised. ‘Whoa!’ he said quietly and gave me a thumbs-up sign with both hands.”This piece of textual evidence shows how GIno and the soccer team were wrong to judge Paul based off his appearance. Although “Mars” is eventually used playfully, Paul had to work hard and prove himself to show he shouldn’t be
