Throughout the novel, many characters must adapt to survive in a changing world. The protagonist experiences a life-changing injury early in the novel. As a result, his vision of a prosperous, prestigious future as a silversmith falls to pieces, and he must find a new way to support himself. Of course, Johnny’s new life at the printing office offers him much more than employment. Johnny finds friendship, a sense of belonging, and a cause that gives him a purpose beyond himself. In a way, Johnny’s adaptations to his new life parallel the changes occurring in the city of Boston.

The novel is a bildungsroman as well as a piece of historical fiction, and the protagonist’s coming of age serves as a sort of extended metaphor for the nascent resistance of the people of Boston. The city is young compared to England, and important British figures seem to view the city as a misbehaving adolescent that will soon respect its parent once more. For example, General Gage, who replaces Governor Hutchinson after the Boston Tea Party, “confidently expected all the trouble would smooth out by itself” (160). However, rebellion is far from a phase for the colonists.