It’s not clear what grade Tod is in some reviews say 8th grade, but I don’t recall having seen that mentioned anywhere. Since Tod obviously has a working moral compass and the will to “pop” his droogs when he thinks they’ve crossed the line, it’s pretty clear Shulman intends Scrawl to be a redemptive story. He could fall easily into the life of juvenile delinquency which would lead to a much harsher, bleaker adult life. It’s really his intelligence and wit that keep him on the good side of the edge. He’s definitely a realist (although surprisingly not as pessimistic and angry as he could be, given his situation)and he’s certainly not overly violent. Through the journal Tod eventually opens up and we can see that he is a smart, thoughtful kid who lives a bad home life, isn’t socially accepted at school, and doesn’t have any qualms about using intimidation to get what he wants out of others. Not really sure why he escaped grounds-keeping duty, Tod only knows he’s supposed to write about himself, his family, friends and school life in a beat-up notebook and turn it in for Mrs. Woodrow, a no-nonsense guidance counselor.
After he and his droogs are busted for breaking into the school, he’s sentenced to spend his daily detention in a hot, empty room with Mrs. Mark Shulman’s Scrawl is the detention journal of the school’s bully, Tod.
