Way of the Warrior Kid

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of bullying.

As a work largely about self-improvement, Way of the Warrior Kid is interested in both confidence and humility: One must have the latter to recognize the need for self-improvement, but one must also have the former to believe that such improvement is possible. Rather than being opposing qualities, confidence and humility therefore emerge as intertwined—a point that the novel illustrates largely through the juxtaposition of its two main characters.

At the start of the book, Marc has an extremely low opinion of himself. He refers to himself as “dumb” and “a wimp” because he has troubles at school and is less capable at athletics than many of his peers. Jake, by contrast, is flush with self-confidence, regaling the family with stories of “parachuting, scuba diving, rappelling out of helicopters, and blowing things up with explosives—all the time!” (21). At their first meeting in the book, Jake teases Marc for his firm handshake and is dismayed to hear Marc disparaging his abilities in sports and swimming. 

It therefore might seem as though Jake is confident and Marc is humble, but as their training begins, the picture becomes slightly more complicated.