W22 EN 2G1 les 2 - Literatuur

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• Leerjaar 2

Today

The author

The book

Characters

Themes

The ending

The author

Mark Haddon 

born in Northampton, England, in 1962

Edinburgh University, 

Master’s degree in English Literature

Took a number of jobs, including one working with children who had physical and mental disabilities, including autism

The book

Published in 2003

Genre: Adult fiction

Christopher John Francis Boone, a young boy whose symptoms and behavior suggest he has a mild form of autism

Published in more than 35 countries

An international best seller

The book

Haddon asserts that he is not an authority on autism and claims to have done very little research on the subject before writing the novel:

 “autism wasn't a term that was even used much at the time, and only in retrospect do I realize that some of the people I worked with had autism, although they had it much more seriously than Christopher does.” 

Autism

Although the novel never mentions autism, Christopher, the novel’s protagonist, displays several of the symptoms that characterize the disorder, such as difficulty reading facial expressions, preoccupation with certain topics, and behaviors like rocking back and forth.

Characters

Christopher John Francis Boone

Christopher’s father (Ed Boone)

Christopher’s mother (Judy Boone)

Mrs. Shears (Eileen Shears) and Mr. Shears (Roger Shears)

Siobhan

Mrs. Alexander

Christopher John Francis Boone

Narrator and Protagonist, 15 years old

Defining characteristi: inability to imagine the thoughts and feelings of other people

This characteristic as well as a few others—Christopher’s difficulty understanding metaphors, his fixation on certain topics, and his computer-like ability with numbers—strongly suggest that Christopher has a mild form of autism. 

He's extraordinarily gifted in math and science.

Autism is not mentioned by name anywhere in the novel, but we see that he recognizes the ways he differs from most people and feels keenly aware of these differences.

Christopher shows a growing desire for independence throughout the novel, and through much of the novel we watch as Christopher gains the confidence to assert himself.

Christopher’s father (Ed Boone)

Has no one to help him cope with his emotions, he bottles them up until he explodes in anger during stressful situations.

Lacks the confidence to work through his problems verbally. When trying to explain himself he stutters and stops and often has trouble connecting sentences.

Lovingly and diligently cares for Christopher, yet he also struggles with the frustration he feels as a result of not always being able to understand Christopher’s behavior.

Extremely protective of Christopher.

Must work to regain Christopher’s trust, and the novel’s final chapters focus on his efforts to reestablish a relationship with Christopher.

Christopher’s mother (Judy Boone)

For the majority of the novel, our only view of Christopher’s mother comes through Christopher’s memories. He remembers her as loving but impatient, and prone to breakdowns in the face of his tantrums.

The only instance in the novel we see a first-person point of view other than Christopher’s is when Christopher includes in his book a series of her letters.

When we finally meet her in person, she turns out to be strong-willed and independent. Even so, she evidently still finds dealing with Christopher extremely difficult. She clearly loves Christopher but also has doubts about her ability to take care of him.

Mrs. Shears (Eileen Shears) and 

Mr. Shears (Roger Shears)

MRS. Shears = one of the first characters introduced, as her dog, Wellington, is killed in the opening scene.

Afterward she keeps her distance from the Boone family.

Two years before Wellington’s murder, Mrs. Shears’s husband, Mr. Shears, left her for Christopher’s mother.

Christopher remains unable to piece together the clues and understand that Mrs. Shears broke his father’s heart.

Siobhan

The most understanding of Christopher’s particular needs and strengths.

As Christopher’s primary teacher, Siobhan explains appropriate social behavior in a way that helps Christopher and respects his intelligence.

His parents’ relative lack of success with Christopher suggests a gap in resources and training, and not necessarily profound character flaws.

Themes

Social disorder

Logic

The struggle to become independent

Coping with loss

Themes (1)

Social disorder Christopher’s social circle is extremely restricted for a fifteen-year-old boy, and these social limitations offer a glimpse into the limited opportunities he will likely face as an adult, despite his many talents, as the bulk of the population is ill-equipped to understand and accommodate Christopher.

Logic Logic helps Christopher analyze his observations and draw reasonable conclusions

The struggle to become independent Christopher’s goal in the novel resembles that of many teenage protagonists in coming-of-age stories: to become independent and find his role in the world. Because of his condition, Christopher cannot be as independent as he would like.

Themes (2)

Coping with loss Each of the major characters endures his share of loss. The novel opens with a death: Wellington’s murder, which prompts Christopher to think back on an earlier moment of loss in his life—the death of his mother. Father also copes with the loss of his wife, Christopher’s mother. Father’s feelings of loss arise again when Mrs. Shears ends their relationship. Ultimately, the book ends as it began, with a death, this time of Christopher’s pet rat, Toby.

The Ending: What does it mean?

“And I know I can do this because I went to London on my own, and because I solved the mystery of Who Killed Wellington? And I found my mother and I was brave and I wrote a book and that means I can do anything.” 

From Christopher’s point of view, all the events leading to the novel’s conclusion point to his bright future.

Quiz Time!

7 MC questions about the story

What implement was used to kill Wellington?

1. Swiss Army knife
2. Shovel
3. Garden fork
4. Poisoned Twinkie

Why does the police officer arrest Christopher at the murder scene?

1. Christopher hits the police officer
2. Christopher is trespassing on Mrs. Shears’s property
3. Christopher has been reported missing
4. Christopher is a suspect in the crime

What does Christopher use to label the book’s chapters?

1. Roman numerals
2. Cardinal numbers
3. Morse code
4. Prime numbers

To what does Christopher compare his memory?

1. Trash compactor
2. Space shuttle
3. DVD Player
4. Red car

Where does Christopher find the letters from Mother?

1. The mail box
2. Father’s shirt box
3. His special food box
4. The garden shed

How does Christopher define love?

1. Helping someone when they get into trouble and always telling that person the truth
2. Getting the third-degree
3. As a picture on the screen in our heads
4. Doing sex with someone

At the end of the novel, what does Father give to Christopher?

1. A hug
2. The keys to his van
3. A puppy
4. The book he took from Christopher