In Boy Overboard by Morris Glietzman, we follow the journey of Jamal and his sister Bibi. Jamal is an interesting character who achieves a lot throughout the text. Bibi and Jamal's lives change one day, when they are forced to move to a refugee camp, and then secretly leave Afghanistan. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Jamal is full of idealism and ambition throughout the text. His desire to play football for Manchester United - a popular, high-performance football club - internationally shows his ambitious side. A little later in the text, Jamal reflects if he were good enough at soccer, his government would allow him to start an Afghan soccer team. This shows that Jamal has raised the bar further and always strives to do better. Towards the end of the text, Jamal tries to realize his dream, wanting to join the Australian football team. Jamal's ambition and courage are all part of his great role as a protagonist. I think everyone can take a cue from Jamal and constantly challenge themselves to do better. A key relationship in the story is that between Bibi and Jamal. Sibling relationships often turn into arguments, but Bibi and Jamal are very close. They always take care of each other. There are many instances where Jamal takes great care of Bibi. When Bibi steps on a landmine, Jamal offers his life by offering to stand on the landmine instead, because of his love and compassion for her. Later in the book, Jamal is shocked that he forgot Bibi's birthday, so instead "Let's throw a party for your birthday!". He is angry at himself for forgetting such an occasion and hatches a plan with her to make up for it. Jamal is an empathetic and caring character. They always show empathy towards those around them, comforting them when there is little hope. Throughout the book, he always tries his best to encourage others and lift their morale. “I'm not entirely sure that's true” – Jamal is exaggerating a little to boost everyone's spirits on the boat. When he prepares bread on board the ship, instead of keeping it for himself and his friends, he shares it with everyone, making sure everyone gets the right portion. I think Jamal is someone that society should look up to. He always cares for others and is selfless. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Overall, Jamal is a well-rounded character, capable of caring for others and himself. I found him interesting for his many characteristics, especially his idealism. In my opinion, the author was trying to make people aware of the atrocious laws they had to live under on a daily basis and to show people the living conditions. There are many interesting points in Boy Overboard that will interest the reader. An important topic that interested me was gender inequality. As Bill Bradley once said: “Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in”