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Do you notice anything interesting about the way in which Christopher remembers people? Anything that stands out as being different from how most of us remember people?
Our memories are often filled with images from our past. Explain in your own words how Christopher's mental visuals are different or are used differently than most people use their visual memories.
Why is Christopher's father so angry about the book?
Why do you think Christopher's father dug the book out of the trash and hid it in his room? Why not burn it or destroy it in some other way if he was so angry about it?
Christopher's father hits him, but he states that he did not mean to...did he mean to? If he didn't mean to, then how do you think that could have happened?
Why do you think the altercation is immediately followed by a chapter on why he hates brown and yellow?
Christopher's father appears to be genuinely sorry for his actions. What does he do or say that indicates that he feels badly for his actions?
Christopher has gotten sidetracked from finding the killer of the dog. How might his mention of Occam's razor indicate that he hasn't completely forgotten that investigation?
Dramatic irony occurs, essentially, when the reader knows more than the characters in the story do. For instance, we know long before Christopher does that his mother is not dead but has run off with Mr. Shears. Why do you think it took someone as smart as Christopher so long to figure this out?
68 comments:
I have noticed when Christopher describes another character in the novel, he describes what they wear. For example when he describes a memory of his mother at the beach he talks of what she wears and reads. He does not mention anything about how her face looked like. This is strange because the face is the most distinct feature of a person. It is difficult to remember someone by what they wore because people change clothing often. Remembering someone by their face would make the most sense because faces change slowly and many features on a face are distinct. Also I find it strange that Christopher remembers the exact outfit a person wears. If a person wore a bracelet, he remembers how many beads are on that bracel
I'm not entirely sure if Christopher's father meant to hit him. However, we do know that Christopher can become violent when he is uncomfortable with a situation. It is possible that his father was acting in self defense but I kind of doubt it. The fact that the following chapter is about why Christopher hates yellow and brown is what really leads me to believe that maybe his father did mean to hit him. Bruises turn yellow and brown. Christopher, when he lists his reasons for not liking yellow and brown, says that these are some of the reasons. We know Christopher does not lie which implies there are more reasons. I can't help but think that one of the reasons he hates yellow and brown is because they are the colors of bruises. Maybe Christopher's father has hit him before or his mother has.
The fact that Christopher's father hits Christopher is surprising. His father has seemed like a level headed very patient man so far in the novel, but everyone loses it at some point right? I don’t think that he is abusive, he has just been having a hard time with his wife being gone and with Christopher breaking the rules. One of the rules that Christopher had promised not to break was investigating the death of Wellington. He had promised not to go and get into others business, in which he talks to Mrs. Alexander and finds out that his mother was having an affair and adds the information into the book that he is writing. When Christopher is off his game and accidentally leave the book on the kitchen counter and his father takes it from him and throws it in the trash. When Christopher goes to retrieve his book he finds that it is no longer in the trash can,and after some investigating he finds it to be in a box in his father's closet. With in this box is letters written to him by his mother, but this is impossible, because his mother is dead. This is when we find out that his mother is not actually dead but had run off with Mr. Shears and she is currently living with him in London. This is when the question “why did it take Christopher so long to find out?” This is because of his perspective, if they are not there they are having no impact on his life so there was nothing weird about the situation, and why would his dad lie to him about his mother. Christopher’s fathers intentions were good, but his execution was very, very poor.
When Christopher reminisces about people, he often describes the surroundings of where the person is, what they are wearing, and what they are doing. The strange thing about his memories are that he forgets perhaps the most important thing we remember; faces. To me, this is not very surprising in Christopher’s situation. He does not understand the face, or the movements it makes. Thus, if he can’t understand it, why look at it? What need does he have to remember a face if he can’t identify it? Also, the face is constantly changing with every emotion, so it would be difficult for him to remember each one. Surroundings, Clothes, and actions are fairly constant compared to how many times we raise our eyebrows, smile, frown, or express emotion daily, so they are easier to remember for him.
Like most of the book, Christopher's father has clearly been suspicious and secretive yet does not try and restrict Christopher with rules. It's clear the Father gets upset about anything that has to do with Christopher's Mother, or the Shears family. That being said, the fact that people like Mrs. Anderson telling Christopher things about his family would explain the anger. Whether that anger justifies hitting Christopher or not is a completely different argument. The Father is a much more patient man and so something must hurt deeply to make him so upset. Towards the end of this reading Christopher's Father's blind fury becomes not as blinding. It becomes clear to us why his Father has these feeling despite Christopher's lack of realization.
Maybe I'm giving Christopher too much credit, but I think he was in denial. Although he knew about his mother having an affair with Mr. Shears, he didn't want to believe that they had run off together. It's easier to believe that she is dead than to believe that his own mother would purposely hurt him/his family like that. He has already come to terms with her death, and it's harder to believe in something entirely different way after the closure. Christopher is highly intelligent, but also naive. He does not understand the meaning behind people's actions. He doesn't know why people use metaphors since they are not the truth. He does not understand why someone does something that, to him, is irrational (for example, small talk). His mother's running away with Mr. Shears and leaving him in the dust is irrational. He did not link Mr. Shears leaving, his mother's death, Wellington's death, or Mrs. Shear's frequent visits together because that's too much drama for him to process. His mother had a family, so why would she want anything else?
Christopher's father was so angry about the book because first, he told Christopher to not do any detective work. The book is basically a journal of Christopher's detective work. Second, Christopher's father killed Wellington. He didn't want Christopher to know. I think his dad chose not to burn the book because maybe he was proud of Christopher? If I had a kid and he was writing a book, I'd definitely keep it. Chris's writing just shows how intelligently he can think and maybe a lot of people don't realize that about him, so it could be used as something to prove to people.
Christopher's father is angry about the book for multiple reasons. One, is that it documents Christopher's investigation and tells of everything he has gone and done which includes breaking his father's rules in a sort of loophole. Another, is because he wrote down the conversation between him and Mrs. Alexander about his mother and his father had not told him about it and was not ready to tell him about it. Regardless of being angry about the book, however, I think he took it out of the trash and put it in the box of letters so he could use it to help him explain the letters and why he did what he did.
I think Christopher took a while to realize his mother wasn't actually dead because his dad has always been honest with him. Once Christopher trusts someone, he doesn't seem to question the information he gets from them. I think he is so trusting because he doesn't know how to make up lies himself, so he doesn't think about other people telling lies. Christopher also hasn't seen or heard from his mom in years, so it just made sense to him that she was dead.
Well, from what I remember from a science lesson, every time a person recalls a memory, that specific memory becomes more and more distorted the more we remember it. Apparently, that is not what happens with Christopher. He has an impressive mindset and a photographic memory, which basically means that his "pictures" do not fade like ours usually would. However, with people, we would usually remember someone by a certain smell, or if they were doing something memorable. Christopher's, again, are just like pictures. When we would have to stare at a picture for a long time to get the full gist of it, he just remembers and looks at the whole thing at once. His mind can just act so quickly, it is quite useful and I'm sure, overwhelming at times.
I think it took someone as smart as Christopher to figure out that his mother is not dead but has run off with Mr. Shears simply because he does not over think things. Christopher sees what he is told, he sees what the facts state. On top of that idea, Christopher and his father do not lie to one another. So when his father tells him that his mother has passed away, how can he expect that his father is lying to him? Also, Christopher has said himself that he doesn't make up scenarios in his head. He only knows what has actually happened, and his father told him that she passed away. I think the hardest thing for Christopher to get over is that his father lied to him. And not just a little white lie, it was a big, life-changing lie, a lie that he believed for 18 months. Just as Sherlock Homes said, "The world is full of obvious things which nobody by chance ever observes."
I think Christopher's father is so upset about Christopher writing his book because he doesn't want to be categorized as a bad father/person because of the incident with Christopher's mother and the killing of Wellington. The action that proves how sorry Christopher's father is would have to be when Christopher is sleeping in his room and his father is talking and crying next to the closed door. This shows how deeply sad and disappointed he is in himself and what he did. I believe Christopher's father kept Christopher's book opposed to destroying it because he really was proud of Christopher for writing the novel, he just wasn't happy with all the material discussed. I think Christopher's father was just very worked up and mad at the moment, but never had intentions of harming Christopher physically.
It's interesting the way Christopher remembers people, mainly by their surroundings or their outfit. It's different than how I would remember someone because I would remember them by their face. Social awkwardness usually goes along with forms of autism. So in Christopher's case, he is not looking the person directly in the eye because that would cause him to feel uncomfortable. This leads to him searching his surroundings to put a memory to a person. I'm not sure why Christopher's father would leave the book whole if he was so upset with what was written in the book. This also leads me to think why he would leave his wife's letters to Christopher if he didn't want him to find out. The only explanation I have for this is that his father actually wanted Christopher to find out.
I think that when Christopher's father hit him, he meant to do it. Other parents, not just parents of autistic kids, will hit their child's cheek or spank them in order to teach their child that what they did was wrong and there must be consequences. Raising an autistic child must be hard to handle sometimes and I feel that is why Christopher's father hit him. He was overwhelmed and wasn't sure what else to do. I find it interesting that the reasons why Christopher despises brown and yellow follows the altercation with his father. The best reason that I can find as to why this happened is that Christopher must have seen yellow or brown when his father hit him.
I think we can all agree how smart Christopher is but why did it take so long for him to realize his mother was not dead but had run off with Mr. Shears? I think this is because Christopher has always trusted his father and never had any reason to not trust what he tells him. Christopher is a very trusting person once he gets to know someone. He doesn't really believe in lying, especially big lies such as the one his father told, so he doesn't expect others to lie to him. Christopher is very logical when it comes to facts, but when it comes to people he isn't as smart as he seems. He stated in the novel that he doesn't create scenarios in his head so when his father told him that his mother died that's what he believed.
I think that the reason that a smart boy Christopher took so long to find out the truth about his own mother was because he believed that his father would always tell the truth. In his book Christopher even says that "loving someone is helping them when they get into trouble, and looking after them, and telling them the truth" (pg.110) Christopher knows that his father loves him, so to him that must mean that he is always telling the truth so he believes everything his dad tells him and that's why it took so long for Chris to discover the truth.
When Christopher remembers and talks about people he frequently describes the surroundings of what the person is wearing, and what they were doing. He is a very observant person, but fails to connect with the person on an emotional level. He doesn’t really listen to the person. This doesn’t take me aback because we learned about this in the very beginning chapters. It is a lot easier for him to gauge things like this rather than emotions and reading into people. Why do that when you can just observe and remember what the person does and is wearing? I find it very surprising when Christopher’s father hits him and gets very angered. He is a very patient man but just exploded at that moment at everything that has happened to him. It just so happens he took his anger out on Christopher
I really do not think Christopher is sad about the affair between his mother and Mr. Shears. He says there is no point in being sad because his mother is dead anyway. He is using his logic, even when it's his own family all he can do is resort to logic. It makes sense to him but for a normal person it would not be that easy to take in, at least not for me. I believe Christopher's father is so angry about the book because Christopher is starting to find out the truth and he doesn't want Christopher to know that he lied to him. Christopher's father takes Christopher to the zoo to apologize for hitting him. I don't know about you but it would take a lot more than a trip to the zoo to make things better if I were in that situation.
Christopher always seems to remember every little thing about a person that he meets. He will remember the color of their eyes, what clothes they were wearing, and just about exactly what they say to him. He writes in his book when he is alone and in his room, he has to remember just about everything about a person so he can write down his entire story. Christopher has an incredible memory, better than most people, because when he actually pays attention to something he'll remember it forever. He can even walk around a place and make a map of it in his head. Christopher is an interesting character.
Christopher's altercation with his father is followed by a chapter about why he hates the colors yellow and brown because Christopher did not like being grabbed by this father. Christopher's explanation of why he hates the colors yellow and brown may be a way for Christopher to express his anger and frustration due the altercation. I also think that the chapter following the altercation is about why Christopher hates yellow and brown because bruises turn yellow and brown when they are healing. Christopher's father hit him, so Christopher may have bruises that are healing. Christopher did not like getting hit and Christopher hates the colors yellow and brown so maybe Christopher was logically connecting his chapters. One more connection between the altercation and the chapter about why Christopher hates yellow and brown is that after Christopher came to, his father went to get a beer and beer is brownish yellow. All in all, I think the chapter following when Christopher and his father hit each other was about Christopher hating yellow and brown because of logical connections such as the color of bruises and beer or the similar feeling Christopher had.
Christopher visualizes things very different than the average person. When he looks at something he looks more at the material part of it. He pays more attention to what they are wearing or what they are doing with there hand, not so much their facials or what they are saying to him. Christopher notices the small details about a persons appearance, but nothing emotionally. Most people meet a person and make their opinion on them based on what they are saying whereas Christopher makes his opinion on others based on what they are wearing and how they are acting physically or what they are doing. It is strange to think that he remembers people like that because it would be difficult to make a very reasonable conclusion on the things Christopher focuses on. It just shows how something so simple is different in his brain.
First off, I want to say that Christopher's father's beating made me really super angry. Maybe more angry than any work of fiction has made me. The Crucible may be up there, but I don't know. I usually don't get emotional around stories. It's interesting that this book managed to get a rise out of me. Anyway, I think that Christopher's father did mean to at the time, but later he came to his senses and realized how massive a tool he was being.
The line before the next chapter about brown and yellow says that Christopher's father got a can of beer after beating Christopher. beer is usually some shade of brown. Maybe Christopher is pointing out how brown and yellow affect those around him.
As far as Christopher not figuring out that his mother is still alive, I think it stems from his inability to figure out people. He's not good at picking up subtle clues about how someone feels about a subject. Those are really important in figuring out what a person says or means. Christopher can't really do that. That's why he never really sees that his mum's alive until it's all spelled out for him.
It is impossible that Christopher isn’t sad about his mother’s relationship with Mr. Shears. Despite the fact that Christopher is such an analytical person, I find it hard to believe that he could be so emotionally detached as to not feel sadness upon learning of his mother’s actions. One would think that his immediate reaction would be something along the lines of, “She doesn’t love me anymore.” Even though Christopher doesn’t believe his mother exists when he learns about the pair’s involvement, one could reach the conclusion that Christopher still had that “gut feeling” in the back of his mind that he had been let down, especially because everyone feels those “what-ifs”—what could I have done differently? How could my own mother do this to me? No matter how much Christopher refuses to believe in spirituality, religion, or anything else that he deems illogical, it would be completely natural that he second-guess himself at some point or another…everyone does at some point in their lives.
I think it took Christopher so long to realize his mother had run off with Mr. Shears because no one told him. Christopher needs to be told directly what has been done or he may get confused. Another reason is that he doesn't know how to tell lies so he assumes that someone he trusts, his father, wouldn't lie to him about something so monumental. Christopher's father is so angry about the book because he just wants to forget about the Shear family. He wants what is best for Christopher and doesn't want either of them to hurt anymore because of what happened. I think he meant to hit Christopher because it was in the heat of the moment but later realized what a huge mistake he had made. He seems to be genuinely sorry.
I think the reason Christopher doesn't seem bothered by the fact that his mother had an affair with Mr. Shears is because to him it doesn't matter. In his mind his mother is dead and gone, and now nothing that happened before really matters. It makes no difference to him if she slept with his neighbor because he really doesn't think it matters. In his mind she is dead and gone forever, what happened before she died does not affect anything right now. Also I think it took so long for Christopher to figure out that his mom was not dead is because he really trusts his father and completely believed she was gone. That is a big lie to tell and Christopher had a hard time believing that his father would do that. It would be very shocking to hear that your mother is actually alive 2 years after you thought she died. I think Christopher has a very hard time accepting the fact that his father lied to him about something that big and important and is very confused about the situation. He has a hard time believing the facts in front of him because it is just so shocking and controversial to everything he has ever been told.
Christopher's father is so angry about the book because it is probably one of the first times in his life that Chris has openly defied him, or at least that he sees the extent of how much he defies him. He also gets angry because he find out how much Christopher knows event though he has put a lot of effort into keeping secrets from him; it just proves that his actions were wasted. He might also fear that Christopher will start to lose his trust in him. His father keeps the book. Why? I think it is because in most respects, he is a typical parent. What I mean is that don't your parents ever keep something that you have made that they are proud of? It might not be the case though considering that it went into a box filled with things that he has kept secret from him. I would be interested to see what else is in that box. Christopher doesn't catch on to the fact that his mother is alive and living with Mr. Shears is because his father told him otherwise. He still believes that his mother is dead and these letters are frauds or even from another mother to her son named Christopher. He is so close-minded because he relies so heavily on what his father and the others around him have told him. What they say is law because when people love you, they tell the truth.
Christopher takes a long time to figure out that his mother ran off with Mr. Shears. Christopher could have been in denial, could have trusted his father completely, or could have simply never looked that deep into it. I believe that Christopher took this long because he relied on the facts. His father told him his mother died. His father never lied to him before. He never saw his mother again. Mrs. Shears never said anything. Siobhan, Mrs. Forbes, and everyone else seemed to know that his mother died. Etcetera. With all his logic, Christopher lacks common sense. He has all the facts, but he couldn't draw the bridges. Maybe he lacks imagination, maybe he didn't want to face the truth. Another possibility is that Christopher never experienced something like this, so he had no prior patterns to depend on! And because patterns and math are what makes Christopher feel safe, why would he stray away from logic?
Christopher's memory comes as a movie to him. He can "rewind" and "fast-forward" through his memories. I believe he has a photographic memory which is common in children that have forms of autism. This is also why Christopher is able to draw and remember maps of places so well. I think it took Christopher so long to figure out what had happened because he didn't understand why his father would lie about something like that.
When Christopher's father hits him, it was unclear to me if he meant it or not. He had been really fed up with how Christopher had been acting about the whole mystery thing. Then after the incident, Christopher's father was acting really nice to Christopher. I thought, at first, that he was just doing it because he didn't want Christopher to tell anybody. Then I realized he felt bad because he loved Christopher. I know he loves Christopher because he is always trying to protect him from the harsh realities of the real world. This, to me, shows that Christopher's father does not want Christopher to get hurt, which shows love.
As we have learned, Christopher is clearly an intelligent individual. Although he extremely smart he doesn't pick up on the fact that his mother had an affair with Mr. Shears. What it seems like to me, is that Christopher is someone who learns by experience. He knows maths as well as information about mysteries because he has experienced these and learned about them. He is a little more naive to the affair because he has never experienced a situation like such before. Also, when it comes to trusting people, Christopher is extremely trusting of those close to him whereas his trust for strangers is nonexistent. Since his father was the one to tell Christopher of the his mother's death, he chose to believe this without any questions asked.
Christopher’s father is mad about the book because he went against his orders and investigated the murder, and because he found out about the affair. I think Christopher’s dad kept the book because the book told him more about his son than Christopher ever told him. The dialogue between Christopher and his father is short and sweet. Christopher doesn’t go into details about much and his father knows that’s how he is. When he read the book he saw it as a diary, it told him stuff that he didn’t know about his son. I think that Christopher saw the truth about his mother right in front of him but ignored it. He decided to make up lies to throw himself off until he read more letters. Christopher didn’t want to face the facts that his dad lied to him about his mother’s fate.
Christopher's father is clearly upset because his son disobeyed his direct orders. He told Christopher not to investigate the murder and yet Christopher chooses to disobey his fathers request and investigates it anyway. I believe Christopher's father kept the book for many reasons. I believe when people write things down they tell people more about themselves then they do through words. Since christopher hardly uses words to begin with the book tells Christopher's father more about him then he ever would share. Although Christopher is extremely smart in school he lacks the ability to read people. He cannot tell when people are lying and he believes what he is told most of the time. He is very trusting of the individuals around him and that's why I believe he doesnt think about the idea of his mom having an affair. I believe Christopher's father hit him because of how angry he was about the whole situation, he has been holding in all his anger and he finally exploded. I believe at the time he meant to hit him because of his anger but afterwards he realized what he had done and didnt mean it anymore. Which is the case in many situations when people let their emotions get the best of them. I believe Christopher is confused about his father lying as well as some other thoughts he is having at this time.
I think Christopher does not believe in the concept of heaven because Christopher is the type of person where he has to see something or the factual evidence behind something. Also, I think Christopher's logic to find the killer is right on it makes sense for the killer to be close to Mrs. Shears. Because no one would kill a dog for no reason. However, I do find it strange he doesn't talk to neighbors he doesn't know. How does he know none of them hold a grudge against Mrs. Shears.
I do believe that Christopher is not sad about the affair. He thinks with logic rather than emotion mostly, and doesn't see the point in being upset.This is because he thinks his mother is dead, so why would anything about the past upset him now. It doesn't make sense to be upset because she isn't alive anymore. I think this is good logic, and that it is plausible. However, I do not think i could think like this. I don't fully agree with it either.
Normally when people remember someone, they remember their face. Christopher instead remembers something they were wearing, or some other characteristic about their appearance.
I thought it was really suprising that Christopher's father hit Christopher. He didn't want Christopher digging up other people's buisnessa but you can tell that the father is more worried about digging up his buisness. His father feels guilty and took out his own feelings on Christopher and then took him out to make up for it. I also think that Christopher's dad kept the book because he knows Christopher and that he can't express things through talking so he wants to gain some sort of insight into what Christopher thinks and feels and what goes on in his head .
I think that even though Christopher is very smart, it took him a long time to figure out that his mom is alive because he wasn't directly told. He says through the novel that he needs to be told things exactly how they are.
Christopher’s father is in a horrible position. He is single handedly trying to raise Christopher who has a very demanding disability to say the least. It is understandable that Mr. Boone would be frustrated, but while reading the novel it is clear that he cannot effectively handle the emotions that he is experiencing. I would say that hitting Christopher was the result of repressing frustration and anger at the position he and Christopher are in and not some abusive tendency at all. It is clear to us that he tries to make things right with his son and is looking for forgiveness within himself and Christopher for his outburst. I cannot fully tell how Christopher feels about getting hit, he seems detached from the situation and its consequences either because of his Autism or he truly forgives his father. All in all we all have to agree that Mr. Boone needs to step up and become the father that Christopher needs and deserves.
It takes Christopher a while to figure out that his mother ran away with Mr. Shears. I think that maybe he just trusted what his father said to him and accepted that his mother was gone forever. Christopher's father is angry and keeps the book because Christopher went against his orders and started to look into his mother's murder. This is one of the first times that Christopher has ever disobeyed his father. I think its neat that Christopher's memories are kept in his head like a movie. He can go back, like rewinding, and go forward, like fast-forwarding. This would be very useful because he can remember what objects and places look like so well, he has an almost perfect memory.
It took Christopher so long to realize his mother had run off with Mr. Shears because no one told him. He assumes that people he trusts wouldn't lie to him about important things like this. One thing that Christopher needs to be told directly is what has been done. His father is angry about the book because he just wants to forget about the Shear family and he wants what is best for Christopher! I think he only hit Christopher because it was a "heat of the moment" type of thing which people tend to act upon most of the time and it's not always the best thing to do. I also think that his father is truly sorry about hitting him and realized it after it had already happened!
Both of the novels we have read have very unique explanations of how ones emotions should be after death or other horrific things in the past. In Slaughterhouse Five the aliens explain that instead of seeing life as a time line you should look at all of the happy moments instead, meaning that no one is actually dead. In The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time Christopher’s view on death has a similar idea. There is no point in being sad about what happened in the past because it is over and done with. If you cry about the past time will not rewind itself, the sad thing would still have happened. Basically in blunt terms, the best thing to do is to be content in the present so you’re able to live a healthier and happier life. Most times it is easier said than done, but if we could all have a view similar to Christopher’s we may all be happier because the past would not weigh us down as much. I like Christopher’s view on the past because like he says “So I would be feeling sad about something that isn’t real and doesn’t exist. And that would be stupid” (Haddon 75). The things that “don’t exist” are done and over with, so the best thing to do is to get over it.
It took Christopher so long because once again, he's a concrete thinker. I'm not saying that someone who was an abstract thinker would've figured it out, but thinking of Christopher as some type of genius is pushing it. Yes, he's smart, but he still thinks very linearly. Drawing the conclusion of his mom and Mr.shears running off together would've taken some time.
Something else I'd like to touch on is how Christopher's dad struck him. Despite seeming like a very level headed guy, he's probably stressed out of his mind and snapped. I can't say I blame the guy. It wasn't right of him to do it, but I understand why.
I think that it took someone as smart as Christopher so long to find out that he mother was not dead because he had no suspicions that it wouldn't be true. Christopher is a boy of honesty, and he believed that his father would never lie to him. Also, he never saw his mother again. Christopher bases his knowledge off of facts, and lacks pondering in his own imagination. I also think that he could have been in denial. A person can make themselves believe whatever they want, and your mother running off with another man is not something you would want to have to accept.
Christopher’s father is so angry about the book because he told Christopher not to go butting his nose into anyone else’s business and to stop with the detective work and then he asked Mrs. Alexander about Mr. Shears and she told him about the affair between him and Christopher’s mother and he proceeded to write it in his book. Another reason Christopher’s father was so angry about the book because when he read the part about the affair it brought back bad memories and probably brought back the memories of him lying to Christopher about what really happened to his mother. He might have been angry because maybe he thought Christopher was close to finding out the truth and he wanted to put a stop to it before Christopher found out and so he yelled at him and threw the book away so maybe he would forget about what he found out. I think Christopher’s father didn't destroy the book so he could keep it for safekeeping like he did the letters to show Christopher later on in life about what really happened with his mother and how she really isn't dead. He might have also kept it so he could potentially give it back to Christopher in the future to finish so he hid it in the box in a cupboard in his room. He might have also been feeling guilty for lying to Christopher about what really happened with his mom so he is keeping everything that has to do with her in a safe box upstairs for a later date.
I think it took Christopher so long to figure out his mother wasn't dead for a few reasons. One he completely trusted his father. His father said she was dead so he believed his father. He wasn't ever brought to the hospital to see her, even though he loved all the machines and stuff in the hospitals, but his father said she needed rest so Christopher didn't question it any further. His father even made it seem like he had given her the get well soon card, they had a funeral and such, and his father was genuinely sad so it all added up and made sense to Christopher. Another reason was he was talking to Mrs. Alexander, about Mr. Shears, and he didn't quite trust her yet. She also never actually said anything about his mother being alive only about the affair. So it makes sense for a kid like Christopher even though he is so smart to not piece together the fact that his mother was alive until he found the letters and read them for himself.
Christopher's reason for not being upset about the affair between his mother and Mr. Shears is very logical. We as readers can expect this from Christopher because his approach to everything is through logic. He says that since his mother is dead it doesn't make sense to be sad about their affair because she is dead and Mr. Shears is obviously out of the picture. It's plausible because Christopher often has this reaction to many other things he finds out throughout the book- such as his mother's death. He was not upset about his mother's death because he came up with a logical reason to not be upset. The same circumstances apply when he finds out about their affair. I think it makes perfect sense because since it happened in the past and it clearly isn't happening anymore since his mother has passed away, why stress about it.
When attempting to remember if I've met someone before, I pay attention to their face. I see if there's anything memorable about their nose or their eyes or the shape of their upper lip. If I can't recognize anything distinctive about their face, I try to place them in any of my common surroundings. I put them in a library or classroom inside my mind and see if they fit there. Unlike me, Christopher recognizes their clothes or anything that they carry on their person that would trigger a memory for him. I thought that was very interesting, the way he remembers people by their clothes or their belongings.
After the fight between Christopher and his father, I believe that he's afraid that he's lost the love and trust of his son. That's why he takes him to the zoo, to make up for his actions. In the café, Christopher's father is intent on making sure that Christopher knows that hitting him was a mistake and that he loves him. After all this, Siobhan asks Christopher if he is afraid of going home, to which he replies 'no.' Christopher knows that his father loves him very much and that he didn't mean to hurt him. I'm curious to see if Christopher's trust in his father will fade now that he's found the letters from his mother.
In this part of the novel, Christopher explains a very unique and interesting way of remembering the people that he meets. He remembers them by a generalization of clothing, different smells, as well as memories from the past. He explains that his memory is like a DVD player in that he can stop, rewind, and fast forward to memories in his past in order to remember someone. In most cases today, people remember others by their faces and voices. Christopher not only has a different way of recognizing people, but he uses general images from his past to determine feelings as well. He thinks about these images from his past and compares them to what is happening in front of him at the time to determine the situation. I think his way of remembering and recognizing is very interesting from that of anyone else, and it is definitely a unique way of going about it.
I think Christopher's dad kept the book as a trophy. People look down on kids who have disabilities so maybe his dad kept the book to show that his son is actually really smart. I think he also kept it as he did the letters to later in life show chris the truth about things. He also felt bad about lying to him about the letters so maybr he kept it instead of destroying it because Chris had worked so hard on it.
When I try to remember people I try to remember their face and voice. If I where to try to remember them ny their clothing it would be harder sincr not all articals of clothing are unique to one person. All our minds are different though and maybe like how dyslexic people read numbers and letters all messed up when Chris tries to remember people by their faces the features all get mixed up together. I think its easier for his brain to interpret things such as clothing or what his mom was reading on the beach than having to remember her face.
The way Christophe remembers things, to me, has pros and cons (not that he can help it). It would be amazing to remember exact dates and exactly what happened. If I could remember conversations and all the time specifics of a memory, that's all I'd think about. The con to this way of remembering is the feelings, the emotions. It seems more analytical than nostalgic when all you can think is what the person was wearing or what was said. Memories are special because it's not the day to day details like outfits; they're moments in life that stand out because of how you felt.
Christopher's father is angry about the book because he's embarrassed. Mrs. Alexander told Christopher about his mother, and his father might assume the rest of the neighborhood knows too. When people are humiliated it's easier to lash out than to try and get over it. He was also probably angry that Christopher didn't listen. Mrs. Shears could have called the police again and Chris might've gotten more than a warning.
Christopher says “other people have pictures in their heads, too. But they are different because the pictures in my head are all pictures of things which really happened” (78). Then on the next page he talks about imagining how he is the only person in a spherical metal submersible that only he can control so he can never be found. But this is not something that has happened to him. So I wonder why he thinks imagining that is different than other people imagining scenarios. Maybe he thinks this is a plausible scenario in his future? I’m not sure, but I thought it was interesting how he contradicted himself. It shows a little more insight into how his brain works.
I don’t know if Christopher’s father meant to hit him. The fact that his father did hit him makes me really upset though. I don’t like Christopher’s father. I’ve had this weird suspicion that he is a bad person throughout the whole novel. The fact that he hit Christopher is just plain abusive and unnecessary. I feel very bad for Christopher in this situation. He is just a sweet innocent little boy. I don’t think that this is the first time that Christopher’s father has hit him. Christopher talks about how he hates the colors yellow and brown. I think he hates them because that is what he sees on his body after his father hits him. It obviously hurts him very bad when his father hits him and the bruises that he gets from that abuse is why he doesn’t like the colors yellow and brown.
Christopher has a very fixed mindset. He bases his beliefs off hard facts and trusts that people are truthful. He doesn't see any reason why someone would lie to him about his mother, so he doesn't have a problem believing that she is dead. Christopher needs to be told what happened, he deserves the truth. It's obvious that the topic brought up a lot of anger with his father, and that him hitting Christopher was a stupid impulse. Being said, I hope that his father really is sorry and did not mean it. Although he can't take it back, he can make up for it.
Again, i can relate to Christopher when dealing with divorce. I truly believe that Christopher wasn't sad about the affair between his mother and Mr. Shears because he believes his mother is dead and Mr. Shears doesn't live nearby anymore. Christopher tends to think logically and from a logical perspective, why would he be mad about something that doesn't matter anymore. At this point in the novel, there's no way to bring his mother back so why go through the trouble to worry.When Christopher compared his mind to a DVD player, i linked his mind to Billy Pilgrim's once again. These two books are more similar than you would think.The way Christopher remembers memories is really cool to me, i wish i could remember things as crisp and clear as he can. When he first meets new people and tries to figure out if he knows them seems to me like a waste of time almost; when i look at somebody i immediately recognize them or i don't. It seems like the process of recognition could be simpler. I absolutely love the way Christopher describes some of the reasons why he hates the colors yellow and brown. Christopher compares his hatred for certain colors to all the arbitrary choices people make in life. If we didn't make choices, hes reasons, nothing would even happen which is 100% true.
I believe that Christopher isn't sad about the affair because he either doesn't understand what it means or what it means isn't significant to him. I think the fact that he used logic to explain why he isn't sad sort of shows that he doesn't know how to process his emotions. this is very plausible because its consistent with his reactions to other things that have happened. The way Christopher remembers people is alike to playing a matching game but not with their faces he plays it with other things. For example, how they smell or what they are wearing. This is not a good method for him because those things can be easily changed and then the person will go back to being a stranger to him. Christopher's memory in general is almost photographic which I'm pretty jealous of. I think Christopher's father is so angry about the book because he went against the rules to be able to write it and it most likely brought back bad memories. He probably went and got it from the trash because he could see how hard Christopher worked on it and would feel bad about destroying it. The altercation followed the chapter of why he hates yellow and brown because he associates everything bad with those two colors.
I believe that Christopher's father hitting him was an accident. He's never done anything like this before. He's rarely yelled at Christopher. I think it was a heat-of-the-moment punch, that was only in retaliation to what Christopher did to him. His dad shows he's truly sorry by taking him to the zoo. He's never been here before, so they get a map, and make a day out of it. I fully believe he's sorry for his actions. I think with everything that happened, and who was all involved, it was hard on him, and this is when he let it all out.
The reason for why it would take Christopher so long to figure out the truth about his father is because he is natural trusting of his father. To further explain, he does not for a second question the fact that it could be his mother that wrote the letter. He instead grasps at random other possibilities, like another child named Christopher who the letter was addressed to. This is very ironic as the reader can quickly assume that the letter is indeed written by Christopher's mother. It also becomes very obvious that Christopher's father has been hiding his mother from him ever since the affair occurred. Oddly enough, his father still holds on to all the letters and Christopher's book, as if he still holds on to the past a bit. In conclusion, Christopher is quick to trust his father; thus, never expected him to lie about his mother's fate.
Chris is more of a visual person I think. I also think that due to.his autism its easier for.him to remember clothing than to remember faces. His disability could cause him to remember colors a lot easier than other things. We all comprehend things different than others so maybe this way is just easier for him to remember. Now with chris' dad hitting him, chris loves his father more than anything and trusts him with all of his life. I truly believe its an accident and more of a failed judgment kind of thing on his part. There is never a moment in the book where you hear that chris' dad treats him bad in fact he felt so bad he even took him to the zoo.
Christopher’s father might be so upset about the book because it brings back a lot of pain from his failed marriage and the only way he can think to release the anger would be to lash out at Christopher, who up until this point had no idea what really happened to his mother. He also probably angry about the situation because he knows that Christopher’s mother is still alive and left him and their child to fulfill a passion instead of her duty as a wife and mother which does not sit well with him and the fact that he lied to Christopher also makes him feel guilty and more upset. I am really not sure why he didn’t keep the book in the trash, unless he wanted to find out what his son figured out and how he was going to continue to keep his son out of the loop. I am not sure if lying to Christopher was the best thing to do because he doesn’t do well with lying and his father does know that. I feel bad for the guy his whole life was turned upside down so maybe that was the best way for him to cope with it , but he didn’t really keep the good of his child in mind by doing that and neither did the child’s mother. I think it was hard for Christopher to figure all of this out because he doesn’t read people well and he thinks that his father would never lie to him about anything especially not his mom so he wouldn’t have looked for clues that she was still alive.
Christopher remembers exactly what people were wearing and what they said. Normally we just remember faces and what the person did. He uses his precise memorization of people to figure out if he has seen them before or knows them. Also, his perception of facts from the past are the reason why he is unable to realize that his mother is in fact not dead. When what he thought was true became suddenly false, he didn't know what to think. His facts became lies in an instant and that troubled him. His father got angry about the books because Christopher was delving into the truth that his father kept secret from him so long. That is also why he kept the book. Christopher's mother's truth was meant to be kept away from Christopher for his own good, not in the mind of the poor boy who thought he lost his mother.
I somewhat can relate to the way Christopher recalls people. I sort of do the same when I first meet someone. I can easily recognize them by what their hair looks like or what they're wearing at the time. This usually only applies for the first day because a person can change these things easily. Once I hang out with them more or memorize their face I'll be able to recognize them better.
Christopher's father is angry about the book because Christopher disobeyed him and poked his nose into other people's business. Anyone would get mad.
I like how his father wanted him to know that he was genuinely sorry by telling him and making sure he understands then by taking him to the zoo. Someplace he has never been to before.
I think it is pretty awesome how Christopher remembers things. Being able to search through almost all of your memories since you were 4 would be amazing… If I had that I would never have to study again! It really stood out to me that Christopher remembers his interactions and memories with people rather than what color their hair or skin is or their voice like most people do. He pictures a whole event or scene that happened when he thinks of someone, whereas I would only have a picture of a person pop up in my head if I was thinking about someone. This is just another example of a way that Christopher thinks more deeply than other people. I think his father gets so angry about the book because he is doing exactly what he was told not to do… continuing the investigation, and also he reads that Christopher finds out about the affair. I think this is the main reason he gets so upset, because he is still bitter about the affair and doesn’t want to face the reality of the situation.
Christopher isn't sad about his mothers affair with Mr. Shears because his mother is dead now, so it doesn't really matter, and people with autism have trouble describing how they're feeling. Christopher remembers people by what they're wearing or any accessories they have, instead of their face, which is strange because people don't wear the same thing every day. Because of his photographic memory, he can remember every detail and fact about that memory, like what his mom was wearing and reading and what design was on her beach towel. Christopher's father is angry about the book because he told Christopher to stay out of other peoples business and not to worry about who killed the dog. During the argument between Christopher and his father, his father was upset and angry, and did things that he normally wouldn't do, like hit Christopher. He felt bad about it the next day, and took Christopher to the zoo.
I have noticed when ever Christopher describes another person in the book he describes what the character is wearing. He describes a memory of his mother at the beach he talks of what she is wearing. He does not mention anything about how her face looked like or what any of the faces from the past characters look like.It is extremely difficult to recall a person by what they are wearing. features on a face are distinct and a better way to classify someone. Also I find it strange that Christopher remembers the exact outfit a person wears. If a person wore a bracelet, he remembers how many beads are on that bracelet.
My favorite aspect of this novel so far, is learning how differently Christopher and I think. Before reading this novel, I had never really been exposed to it. I knew that information was processed differently, I just never really realized it. But now it's been put into perspective and I find it more than interesting. I'm amazed by it.
Christopher and I have one thing in common - we remember appearances. However, he remembers clothing and accessories. Like Adam said, Christopher always talks about the clothing. He described his mother's denim shorts and bikini top on the beach. He doesn't describe her facial structure, unlike me. I remember faces. I remember the face and the hair color- sometimes even height. Christopher never describes that- just articles of clothing.
It seems as if Christopher often describes a person as things around them. The way he describes his mother at the beach is evident of this. No bodily characteristics, simply her clothing and the book she is reading. This may be because to Christopher, people are the same, it's the things around them that become notably different from one another. This visual comprehension that that Christopher seems to favor may be a characteristic of his autism.
Christopher says earlier in the chapter that he knows his father loves him and one of those reasons is because his father would never lie to him. I think this is partly why it took him so long to find out the truth about his mother. If he believed she was really sick and in the hospital, then her death would be a logical situation. Christopher doesn't really seem to notice his fathers actions though. I think if Christopher's mother really had died, his dad would be mourning. He doesn't show many signs of sadness. He more shows anger, which makes sense being his wife is having an affair. But this does make me wonder why he would not just file for a divorce. After Christopher talks to Mrs. Alexander, I think he starts putting clues together a little bit more. Now that he has read this letter, he knows he has a lot more detective work to do.
Despite my reoccurring interest in why Christopher shows lack of emotion for his mother’s death, he finally gives some reasoning. When Siobhan asks Christopher if he is upset about his mother’s affair with Mr. Shears, he replies no. Christopher then further explains how there is no point in being mad about his mother, when she no longer exists. I guess this is how Christopher reacted earlier in the novel as soon as he found out his mother had passed away. Although a strong trait to acquire, it seems insane to show no sign of emotion for such dramatic events. This character trait might be useful to an athlete or student, trying to forget a close fought game in which was lost or a bad grade on a test. I see many hardships like these in life as if they are just there to make me stronger. We need to learn from past mistakes and hardships to make ourselves more prepared for the future. Christopher seems like a smart young man and that is why I think he should try and evaluate his past hardships more instead of avoiding them.
i don't think that Chris is actually sad about the affair between his father and mrs shears he explained in the first part of the book how he feels about cheating and love. he explains that he doesn't understand love so i don't think that he understands it. which would mean that he doesn't understand why people would cheat in the first place. the part i'm confused about is why he freaks out when he finds out his mother is alive. if he truly doesn't understand love and he wasn't sad when his mother had "died" then why would he be sad that she was alive? was he really just angry that his father lied? and was he angry that he killed the dog?
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