Theme of Death

The theme of death is evident in the movie as we are introduced to Mrs. Kennedy, Radio's mother. Coach Jones and Mrs. Kennedy are speaking about Radio's father. Mrs. Kennedy shares with Coach Jones that her husband is dead and she is raising Radio by herself. The purpose for introducing death at this point is to help the audience understand why it appears as if Radio is wandering around the streets of Anderson, rather than being taken care of by a doting parent or going to highschool like his age appropriate peers. Mrs. Kennedy, as a single parent, must work very long hours at the local hospital as a nurse to provide for herself and her son. As well, at this point in time historically, there were not many options in terms of the education of individuals with special educational needs. This may have been especially true in the setting of the southern US where this movie is taking place.

Our second appearance of death occurs with the passing of Radio's mother, Mrs. Kennedy. Radio's mother dies suddenly as a result of a heart attack. This is a critical moment in the storyline as Mrs. Kennedy is Radio's only familial support mechanism. Radio has an older brother Walter, but he doesn't live in the same house as Radio anymore. As well, Mrs. Kennedy was Radio's number one fan, always supporting and loving him regardless of his apparent problems. This aspect of death is critical in the the film because it represents a large change in Radio's life from being totally reliant on his mother, to having to rely on other people in his life, such as Walter, or Coach Jones. Coach Jones continues to take Radio into his life, and their relationship is actually solidified as a result of Mrs. Kennedy's death.