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What is your take on Mr. Shears' reaction to having Christopher stay with them? What does this tell you about him? What does it tell you about the relationship between the couple?
What is your take on Christopher's mother? How is her behavior awkward or unmotherly? How is she motherly?
Christopher is bent on taking his math test. What does his persistence on this matter tell us about him?
Why doesn't he empathize with his mother's situation at all?
Christopher's mother essentially steals Mr. Shears' car to take Christopher back home. Why is this significant? What does her move back there indicate?
Do you think Christopher and his mother will have a better relationship now, or not? What details inform your choice?
Do you think Christopher will ever trust his father again? What details inform your answer?
Why was the math test so important but the results so much less important?
What is significant about Christopher receiving a dog to replace Toby?
154 comments:
Christopher is so bent on taking the math test because near the end of the book, I've realized that all Christopher wants to do is succeed. He wants to be successful and make himself useful. He loves doing what he's good at, and he's good at math. If he can prove his abilities to others, he can go to a good school and start a career after that. He has regard for his future. Christopher wants to go far. His persistence shows how hardworking and determined he is. However, I became aware early on in the book of his persistence involving the murder of Wellington.
When Christopher shows up at his mother's, he does not empathize with his mother's problem. Christopher doesn't notice how difficult of a position that he is putting his mother in because he is not very aware that other people have minds. It refers back to the Smarties and pencil problem. When Christopher understood the trick, and he was asked, "if your mom came in here right now, what do you think she would think is in the Smarties tube?" He answered, pencil, because that is the correct answer. It's difficult for him to notice how awkward it is from his mother's point of view. All he wants is for his mother to take him.
Christopher's mother is awkward and unmotherly in the sense that she doesn't truly know her son. She forgets that she can't just hug him, but that act in itself is motherly. So it's not that she's not motherly, she's just not the motherly type based on Christopher's needs. However, she does protect Christopher from Mr. Shears and stand up for him throughout their stay in London. One thing I question is why she never tried to contact Christopher through another method other than letters. I get that she assumed he was getting the letters and just not responding, but it's also hard to understand why she didn't try harder. She could have called the school or drove down to see him, but she didn't.
Christopher’s mother is basically right on the line of motherly and unmotherly. On one hand, she left and because of that she doesn’t know how to work with Christopher or how to handle him. On the other, she did want to remain part of his life and she did take him in when he needed her instead of sending him back home and scolding him for running away. Although, once we got the full story, I did feel sorry for her. She didn’t want to leave Christopher. She just wanted to be with Robert a decision that did not bode well for her.
The relationship between Mr. Shears and Christopher's mother ticked me off and was unexpected, at least to me. Here I thought she was gonna be happy with this guy and they would've welcomed Christopher in. Instead, we come to find out they're bitter and rarely always fighting. It goes to show that in bad times, some people are different. You can relate to them for awhile, but not everyone is who they seem. I suppose Christopher's mother ran into this relationship without thinking about it. They both were having family troubles and they used each other as a coping mechanism.
The math test was so important to Christopher because taking the test opened paths for his future. The hardest part of the test was convincing the administrators to allow Christopher to take the test. He knew that he would pass the test, so he wasn’t worried or surprised by the results. Perhaps the test was important for him, not only for his future but to set him apart from the other kids at his school. Christopher functions at a higher level than the other students, and he often points out their unusual behavior. He doesn’t see himself the same as ‘normal’ people, but he also doesn’t relate with the kids in the school. Maybe by taking the test he was proving that he wasn’t the as his classmates.
I feel so bad for Christopher’s mother. Through the whole book I was sympathetic to Christopher and his quest to find the truth, but when I read how he acted with his mother my opinion changed. When someone imagines motherhood, the mother is hugging her child or holding his hand. Christopher’s mother gets none of these kindnesses. She is unable to hug her son without setting him off. Another thing that bothered me about the scene with Christopher and his mother was his insistence with the test. His mother’s world is falling apart and he can only be bothered with the delayed test. I knew that Christopher had a hard time empathizing with other people, but it really hit me hard when his mother lost her apartment, boyfriend, and job for Christopher.
Christopher is so bent on taking his math test because he will not settle for anything less than what he wants. He wanted to figure out the mystery behind Wellington, so he did. He wanted to run away from home after he found out, so he did. He wanted to take his math test, and after his mom rescheduled it, he was able to take it when it was originally planned. I think taking the test was much more important to Christopher than the results because Christopher already knew he was going to get an A. He studied so hard and for so long, all that effort would have been wasted if the test would have been delayed.
I think Christopher getting a dog to replace Toby is significant because the dog is staying with Christopher's father. Christopher doesn't trust his dad because he killed Wellington, but if Christopher sees his dad can take care of this dog and not kill it, he'll be able to trust him again. Having the dog around also means Christopher and his dad will have to spend time together, in the end it's kind of a forced relationship, but it'll be a good one nonetheless.
I, like Christopher, used to own a rat, and from my own experience can tell you that a dog is a great improvement. The average life span of a rat is about two years, whereas for dogs it is roughly ten to thirteen years. Owning a dog is a much larger commitment because of all of the time that will go into raising them. The fact that Toby was replaced by a dog is significant because it represents a more permanent solution instead of a quick-fix. Could it almost be like a replacement Wellington? Or an apology? Receiving Sandy happened right before Christopher tells us about how his life is after his A-Levels. Although he stays with his mom in a flat, he visits his father and slowly begins to be more comfortable in that house again. It is clear by the end of the book that he doesn't trust his father fully because he says that sleeping with Sandy makes him feel better because he barks when someone tries to get into the room. As if he expects his father to try and break in at any time and kill him like he did Wellington.
The math test was more important than the actual results because one Christopher schedules something in his head, he must stick to it. This is why he eat snacks and meals at a certain time, watches tv at a certain time, etc. I think something that was a little unmotherly of Christopher's mom is that she said he could stay a couple weeks, and not just wanting to live with him at first. She acts more like a friend or sister. But she does protect him and defend him against Mr. Shears who seems to have something against Christopher for ruining his little set up with his mother.
I think the relationship between Mr. Shears and Christopher's mom is very fragile. It wouldn't take much to make the whole thing fall apart. The two of them probably never would have become a couple if they hadn't both been looking to leave their spouses. For example, if they had met before either of them married, they never would have been together. Their relationship was based off their dissatisfaction with their marriages, not their actual feelings for each other. The way that Mr. Shears treats Christopher and the idea of Christopher living with them shows this. It was enough to end the relationship.
Mr. Shears doesn't really seem like the fatherly type. Especially to a high maintenance child. He seems quite displeased with the whole situation when Christopher comes over to his mother's house. How he acts, and how he treats them really says a lot about him. For starters, he seems quite stubborn, as if he only wants to be with Christopher's mother and no one bother them, which I can see is understandable. However, he also treats the mother unfavorably. From the beginning of their relationship, they wanted to get together because they were both lonely. Not really the best reason to live with someone like that, in my opinion. Being lonely was just about the only thing those two had in common. Troubles were bound to happen along the way. What enhanced the troubles was the idea of Christopher living with them, and it seems as though Mr. Shears gave her the options of either being with Christopher, or him. Luckily, Christopher's mother made the right decision and chose her son, however ending the great relationship the two thought they had.
The reason Christopher loves this dream so dearly is because of the fact that in this dream, there are kids that are just like him. Millions of people die in this dream because of infection, and the only people who do not become infected are the people who share the same qualities as Christopher. This comforts Christopher immensely. It makes complete sense why he continually has this dream, and it shows truly what he thinks of the rest of the world. Christopher seems to believe that the rest of the world is foolish and silly, and doesn't know how to respect boundaries. He doesn't trust the world, and frankly I don't blame him.
Christopher doesn't emphasize with his mother for what she has done he just wants her to take him. Christopher does not understand how awkward it is for his mother at this point. Imagine the son that you had abandoned years ago has shown up on your doorstep asking for you to take him back. Christopher does not realize that other people have separate brains and knowledge as he does. "if your mom came in here right now, what do you think she would think is in the Smarties tube?" with this he answers a pencil, because through experience he knows that it’s not smarties. With this he does not realize how truly awkward and out of the blue it was for him to see his mother.
The dog that is given to Christopher by his dad at the end of the novel resembles reconnection. Mark Haddon may have wrote the novel as to where a dog broke them apart and brought them back together. Ed’s puppy apology fills Christopher with happiness, especially since he has always had a heart for animals. I think Ed apologizes with a dog because he knows that Christopher will have to stay with him because the puppy will be at his house. This is Ed’s attempt to rebuild a relationship with his son. Now that Christopher has a puppy at his dad’s house he will feel safer around his dad and presumably will start taking small steps to create a connection with his father, eventually being able to trust him again. I am pleased to see this offering by Ed because I believe that Ed truly cares about his son, and wants the best for him (even though he might not know what is best for him all the time). I think it is in Christopher’s best interest if he continues to want to stay with his puppy so a relationship can be recreated between him and his father.
Christopher's mother is always trying to be a good mother and to take care of her son. However, her lack of anger control gets in the way most of the time. Not just that, but now Mr. Shears is in the picture and Christopher knows just about everything that has been going on the past two years. She understands this as well, thus making her situation even more awkward. It's evident that she tries to be motherly, and she does pretty well at it, aside from the fact that she does not know how to treat her son, just because of who he is. She would do all the motherly routines any good normal mother would do, but when she does something that Christopher disapproves of, she becomes frustrated and awkward. I respect her for putting forth the effort to try and reach out to her son and be a wonderful, loving mother. Although I also believe that she needs to become more understanding to his situation and his personality.
I didn’t like the way Mr. Shears reacted to Christopher staying with them. I thought he was extremely rude and insensitive to the situation. This tells me that he doesn’t have a lot of compassion or that he’s an overly kind person. This also tells me a lot about the relationship he has with Christopher’s mother. If he truly loved her, he would have welcomed her son into their home with open arms. I felt indifferent about Christopher’s mom when I first met her in the book. She seemed shocked, but excited to see her son. She did act motherly when she drew him a bath and got him new dry clothes. I could tell she was slipping back into her old ways when she was getting annoyed with Christopher in the car ride home. She even told him to be silent for a half hour! She was probably getting frustrated when she tried to take him shopping and he had one of his freak outs. Christopher is a big responsibility to pop up on someone randomly but I think she’s handling it to the best of her ability.
Christopher’s persistence on taking the math test is an example of his drive to succeed. Throughout the whole book Christopher talks about his A-level maths and going to the University. He doesn’t empathize with his mother’s situation at all because he doesn’t always think about how other people feel. He doesn’t understand the effect he has on the people around him. I thought it was funny how Christopher’s mother steals Mr. Shear’s car and takes Christopher back home because that’s the place she ran away from. She ran away from the house, from the boy she’s taking back to that house, and she did it with the guy whose car she stole. I hope Christopher will trust his dad again. I think by Christopher’s dad giving him the dog, it was a step in the right direction towards gaining his sons trust.
The significance of Christopher's dream is the fact that everyone dies except the people in the world who are like Christopher and can't interpret emotions. Christopher does not like human interaction because all of the feelings and emotions conveyed just confuse him. Also, Christopher emphasizes his hatred of touch throughout the book, he doesn't even hug his parents. The virus in Christopher's dream almost wipes out the entire human population, which would allow Christopher the freedom to go almost anywhere without having to worry about touching or interacting with other people. I think it is sad that Christopher can only be happy in a world with people like him, but it's common for people to imagine perfect worlds. There are numerous books about utopian societies and many people escape in their dreams. Although Christopher's dream is somewhat gruesome, I can understand why Christopher loves his dream so much. Christopher's dream is a way for him to easily express and deal with his frustrations with the world by creating a perfect world.
Christopher is go passionate about taking math because it is what he is good at. With most other things being hard to understand, Math comes naturally to him. It is one subject that he can excel in. In math there is balance and order which makes it easily perceivable by Christopher. Christopher wants to go far in life and believe that furthering his education is math will help him do so. His persistence shows how dedicated and how hard he works.
Christopher's dream is a bit strange to me and if I were to have had it, I'd think of it as a nightmare instead of an enjoyable dream. I know it's a bit cliche, but his dream makes me think of a zombie apocalypse. Once again there runs another difference between Christopher and other people, he dreams about everyone catching a virus and eventually dying whereas others dream of being hero's, achieving greatness, doing the unimaginable. The significance of his dream though is that the only people who are left are people like Christopher, people who cannot understand or recognize emotion. This dream makes Christopher happy because he doesn't like people touching him or when there is a lot of people in one place, and because all of the people left on earth would be like Christopher, they wouldn't go near other people either. So for Christopher, it would be kind of like an utopia in that for once he would understand others and they would understand him. In this I can see why he loves this dream, because after all who wouldn't love to be understood by all of those around you and you able to understand them without even trying.
I'd like to comment on what I thought of the book as a whole and a few quotes as well....
I have conflicted feelings on the book as a whole. I found it a bit slow at parts and my attention wasn't always captivated. Having said that though, it was an enlightening read. I was given new perspectives on things tangible and intangible. One of my favorite parts is how he explains time, "Because time is only the relationship between the way different things change, like the earth going round the sun and atoms vibrating and day and night and waking up and going to sleep....And this means that time is a mystery, and not even a thing, and no one has ever solved the puzzle of what time is, exactly. And so, if you get lost in time it is like being lost in a desert"(p156-158). It really makes you take a second and think about it in new light. Another one of my favorite quotes is, "We all make mistakes, Christopher. You, me, your mum, everyone. and sometimes they're really big mistakes. We're only human"(p122). This is something that everyone can relate to because everyone makes mistakes and there is nothing you can do about that other than learn from them. On a different note, I'd like to discuss Christopher. He was a neat character and definitely offered a different viewpoint from the books I usually read. However, Christopher reminded me distinctly of two people: Lenny from Of Mice and Men, and I found it a little ironic how Christopher had a pet mouse and later got a puppy which Lenny was always obsessed with, and Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory, because they both have a hard time understanding others, they have certain rules and ways things must be done, and they are extremely intelligent. All of that said, Lenny and Sheldon are some of my favorite characters, and Christopher may not be included in my list of favorites, but he definitely isn't at the bottom of my list. Overall I'd give this book a four out of five stars. It wasn't a book I'd have picked off the shelf for myself but it's one I'm happy to have read.
The reason why Christopher is so hell bent on taking the math test is to prove he can. To show that he is good at something, and that it is math. Who doesn't not like doing what they're good at and displaying their skills? He has a hard time understanding most things and wrapping his mind around things, but with him man comes naturally. Almost like walking. He feels good when he does math because it's something that he does well and does correctly.
Christopher's dream is what he's always wanted. Just to be alone. I suppose to him it doesn't matter what happens to those people. Its kinda sad that he doesn't have any emotional connection with anyone. I've noticed this throughout the novel and I guess he does say it. He something like he cares more about dogs than people.
It wasn't a big surprise that Christopher's mother couldn't handle him. Its one of the reason's she left anyhow. But she isn't very motherly. I guess she tries to be but isn't very good at it.
Mr. Shears has slowly become a very hated man during the entire novel. First having Christopher's Mom left with him and abandoning both Mrs. Shears and Christopher's Father, but later how we see he treats the Mother and his reaction to Christopher staying. Mr. Shears is also a rational man but in a way that is selfish and inconsiderate of others, including Christopher and his Mother. It's clear that the Mother is not with Mr. Shears because she loves him, but because he had argued and controlled a lot of her decisions over the past years. She must not have been happy and it's very strange how she acts mainly because she always felt that Christopher wasn't truly her son, having not gotten along or knowing how to handle him.
Christopher is fighting tooth and nail to take his math test and will not give up his fight to take it. This is yet another moment where he is clearly focused on what he wants and it limits him as a person. He cannot see what others must do for him to take his tests and care for him and understand what he doesn't like and it once again shows the limits he has with his autism. Due to his lacking ability to understand others or appreciate them at all, it is hard to say whether Christopher can ever trust his Father because he cannot realize why things happen. He will simply think about the fact that his Father killed Wellington instead of any rhyme or reason as to why and what his Father had done for him.
Christopher's mother is very awkward when it comes to mothering Christopher because she is so unused to him. She hasn't seen him or been around him in a long enough time that she forgets simple things about him like that he doesn't like to be hugged or taken into crowds. The situation reminded me of being in school and being off for summer break. While I'm on summer vacation I forget the routine of school and when fall comes around I find myself a little disoriented when I have to get back into the routine of school. Similar to Christopher's mother having to get back to a life with her son. On the other hand, Christopher's mother is good to Christopher. She comforts him by telling him he can stay in her house for as long as he wants to which is exactly what he needs to hear. When he is scared of his father Christopher's mother steps in and backs up Christopher and makes him feel protected and safe. She does love Christopher but just has a difficult time showing it because of the obstacles he faces with connecting with others.
Mr. Shears reaction to Christopher staying with them is very unsettling. Not once is her understanding of the situation. He offers no help to Christopher or his mother, when they are both in a straining time. From his actions towards Christopher and his mother I got that he was quite rude and stubborn or unwilling to step up. He seems extremely selfish. Yes it would be difficult to bring a child with special needs into your home but it was what/Christopher and his mother wanted and if Mr. Shears truly loved Christopher's mother he would have been more empathetic. It seems that their relationship isn't what it seemed to be. In the letters Christopher's mother wrote she made it sound like their life was perfect. It seemed like her and Mr. Shears were the happiest they had ever been. When Christopher is living with them though they are constantly arguing over simple things that they probably would have argued over before Christopher was in the picture. Christopher's mother had written in one of her letters that her and Mr. Shears were both lonely and connected upon that. Once that was gone they probably didn't have to much else to connect and start a life on, but once they did they didn't have anyone else so they probably stayed together just because they had no one else to go back to. Their relationship seems weak and almost forced because they have nothing else, which is somewhat proven when they split and Christopher's mother moves back into Christopher's fathers home again.
Christopher is so persistent on taking his math test because he worked so hard to even get the chance to take it. He studied so hard to prepare for the test. He had it planned and he had to complete it when he planned it. This shows his determination, as it was showed when he found out who killed Wellington and when he made it to his mother. He knows what he wants and he will not settle for anything less. Christopher also wants to prove to others how intelligent he really is. He also wants to set himself apart from the students in his class. He often says that he is different from them and in taking the math test and showing his intelligence it proves how much he stands out from others in his class. He is very good at math and he knows this which is why he loves it so much.
I think Christopher’s dream is kind of dark. I find it interesting that he dreams of everyone in the world dying. Christopher’s dream seems innocent except that he imagines everyone dying.Christopher’s dream is his utopia. He is in control of what happens and he knows what is going to happen. Christopher talks of going where he wants and choose what he wants to eat. Christopher is in complete control of this world. Christopher hates uncertainty. In his dream, with everyone done, there is no uncertainty. He makes all decisions and knows the outcome for the actions.
Christopher doesn’t like people, he shows this throughout the book. His dream is that everyone dies from a virus that causes them to commit suicide. So kind of like M. Night Shyamalan’s The Happening. The only people left are people like him. In this dream he can relax without always worrying about other people bothering him. Christopher can relax and not have to talk anyone so he can finally achieve happiness. Mr. Shears really doesn’t want Christopher to live with him and his girlfriend. It makes it seem that he is a real jerk and that Christopher’s father was right about Mr. Shears. I feel like Mr. Shears made Christopher’s mother leave Christopher. Even though the letter said that Christopher’s Mom chose to leave I still think that Mr. Shears had to somewhat force her to.
Christopher really wants to take his math test because he wants to prove to people that he isn’t dumb, but that he is smart and should be treated like it. Christopher just wants to prove people wrong. Christopher doesn’t emphasize about his Mom losing her job and boyfriend for him because he is focused on himself. I think Christopher thinks that the book is about him so he should mostly ignore other people’s issues and feelings. There isn’t anything wrong with that, but it once again circles back to how Christopher can’t go into emotional detail. I think that Christian will slowly start to trust his father again but it will just take some time and work. Christian showed he could trust his father when he took the dog from him. I think the dog kind of showed rebirth in a way, the book started with a dead dog and then ends with Christopher getting a puppy.
Mr.Shear’s reaction to Christopher staying with him and his wife is not surprising. He and his wife seemed pretty happy by themselves and they live in limited space. Mr. Shear sees Christopher as a burden. Since Christopher is a special needs child, Christopher needs more attention and has specific needs. Also Christopher is not Mr. Shear’s child. Mr. Shear feels he has no responsibility for Christopher. I think Mr. Shear sees Christopher as Christopher’s father’s burden.
I don't think Christopher understands his mother's situation that well or he just doesn't care about other people.
Obviously Christopher's mother broke up with Mr. Shears because of Christopher. Something like he like Christopher or didn't want Christopher living with him. His mother cares for him to the point where she broke up with Mr. Shears so she can live with Christopher instead. I definitely think Christopher and his mother will have a better relationship now since he's changed some and since she doesn't have to deal with him 100% of the time.
You know, its kinda funny that Christopher's father bought him a dog to apologize and make it up to him.
Mr. Shears is pretty selfish. He doesn't empathize with Christopher or his mother when Christopher makes a surprise visit. Yeah, it wasn't expected and Christopher broke some pretty shocking news, but Mr. Shears is not my favorite character. He ran off with Christopher's mother for one, and although they are both to blame for that, his mother is at least compassionate. I feel Mr. Shears and Christopher's mother are two very different people, and the only reason they lasted as long as they have is because they didn't have any major issues. When Christopher comes, his mother at least tries to accommodate. Mr. Shears is still too consumed in himself (and alchohol?) to make any real attempts at helping. His mother seems like a "put up and shut up" type of person at first, but when she has enough, she has enough. So it doesn't surprise me that she runs away (again) to get away from Mr. Shears.
I think Christopher will learn to trust his father again. He has already taken baby steps - and at the end, all three are even staying in the same house. It must be hard for Christopher because his mother left him (for a short time) and his dad is viewed as a liar and murderer. I'm surprised Christopher doesn't fear for his new dog's life actually. Not that he should, but it would be expected. Christopher is fearful of many things, however, and deep down he knows he needs his father to help take care of him since his mother is a little less loyal. I liked the ending of the book because they all seemed to be a family, or at least acting like one. His dad may have made some bad decisions but I think Christopher will come around.
Christopher’s persistence in taking his math test is proof of his need to succeed and become independent. First, he solved the mystery of Wellington, which proved to him that he can solve problems on his own. The A levels were just more problems that he could solve on his own. He also saw taking the A levels as a necessary step to take in the completion of his dream: to one day receive a “First Class Honours Degree” and become a scientist. Once Christopher sets his mind on something, there is no changing it. His need to get what he wanted, the test, also showed how he couldn’t cope with not getting what he wants. We see this when his mother said he could take his A levels next year, and he completely breaks down.
I'm skeptical on why Christopher was so focused on the test and not on the results. The common census seems to be that he's ardent on succeeding and determined to set himself apart. But if that were true, wouldn't that mean that he is still concerned on the results? The test, it's all about the test. I think it's possible that Christopher was unsure of himself when it came time to take the test. All the problems, the calculations, the logic solving behind it, he can do it without a problem. But just what if the test is harder than expected. The stress behind getting to a question and completely blanking is a quick and nasty shot to the pride. Christopher does pride himself on being great at math, but the disappointment and confusion isn't felt the deepest when the results are in, it's at the moment you see that question and know that you should know the answer and how to get there, but don't.
I admire Christopher's persistence about his math test. He truly does care about his dreams and he knows that this test is the first step in achieving them. He knows he can do well. Christopher is very confident in his abilities and has a gift for mathematics/science. There's no point in postponing another year because he already knows everything. Even though the world may not put much confidence or hope in Christopher's future, he has enough for the both of them. Although by the end of the novel his dreams have changed a little, he still will go to University and become a scientist. Each step to his dream, like getting an A on A-level maths, is an opportunity for Christopher to become more independent and mature because he does it completely on his own.
I do think Christopher will come to trust his father, but not ever like he did before. His father proved his trust by showing him in time that he can take care of the dog too. This way, Christopher will have to stay at his father’s house because he has a strong connection with animals. His father’s sitting Christopher down and telling him how important his trust was to him was the very first step that would help build the relationship. Sandy was the second. Although this will make things better, they will still remain more distant than they were at the beginning of the novel. So now he lives out a relationship with his father containing some disorder.
Of course, Christopher’s dream is eery. But after a long day traveling London with so many people around (which he hates) it only seems natural for him to dream of life without many survivors at all. This dream essentially shows Christopher’s exact feelings on human life, and how it isn’t very important to him at all. He no longer wants to be under anyone’s control, so a life without any authority figure would be the perfect scenario to him. All he wants is to live a life free of an authority in his life so it is no surprise that he did not think of his parents at all because as long as they are alive, they are still his parents, and can have an influence in his life that he doesn’t want. I think it is especially important to mention his father’s death in this dream. He obviously would feel no remorse (although this comes to no surprise after how he acted when he was told his mother was dead), but notably, his father wasn’t replaced like his mother. This may be a sign of a connection with his father.
Christopher’s dream is something that he wishes would happen because then he wouldn’t have to interact with other people and he would be able to do everything on his own schedule. The disease that the people get is diabetes from sitting on the couch too much and not getting out and exercising, and the dream is something that could eventually happen. Mr. Shears is very skeptical of having Christopher stay with them because he’s used to cause so much stress for his mother, and Mr. Shears doesn’t want Christopher’s mother to have to go through it again. The couple argues a lot, so maybe Christopher’s mother made a mistake when she left Christopher’s father. Christopher is so worried about taking his math test because math is something for certain that he can rely on, and he is going to need to get into as many advanced math classes as possible to become an astronaut. He had everything planned out, and his father had to fight to get him to be able to take the test, so he felt guilty for his fathers’ efforts being trashed, and his plan for the next year was changed. Christopher and his mother come back to Swindon, so they can try to work things out and both of Christopher’s parents can be there for him and he can work on regaining trust with his father. I think Christopher will eventually be able to fully trust his father again because he stays at his fathers’ house after school, his father bought him a dog to replace Wellington and Toby, and he eventually talks to his father again.
Christopher's violent thoughts while taking the maths A level test brought to my attention Christopher's conflicting views about violence throughout the book. When Christopher first receives Paper 1 of the maths A level test, he doesn't know how to answer the questions and is very upset. "And I wanted to hit somebody or stab them with my Swiss Army knife...," (p.212). What strikes me as odd is the fact that Christopher has violent thoughts throughout the book when he is upset or flustered, yet Christopher is obsessed with finding the murderer of Wellington. When Christopher eventually found out that his father was the murderer, Christopher could not look at or speak to his father. I understand that Christopher has a mental disability, but why does the murder of Wellington bother Christopher so much when he is prone to violent thought and action himself. To me it seems like Christopher understands that the killing of Wellington was wrong, but Christopher has trouble recognizing his wrong thoughts and actions such as hitting a police officer, yielding his knife as a person who helped save him, and wishing to stab someone with his Swiss Army knife.
One part of the Curious Incident that found intriguing was on page 176, when Christopher wished to go home. "And I was shaking and I wanted to be back home, and then I realized I couldn't be at home because Father was there and he told a lie and he killed Wellington, which meant that it wasn't my home anymore...and it scared me, having a wrong thought like, 'I wish I was back home again,' because it meant my mind wasn't working properly." This statement by Christopher stood out to me because Christopher shouldn't have to be afraid of his home where he grew up, yet he is. Even though it is upsetting that Christopher no longer thinks of his Father's house as his home, I understand why Christopher believes that. A house is not a home unless there is love and family there, and despite the fact that Christopher's father loves him very much, Christopher's father lied and murdered an innocent dog. Those two things broke Christopher's trust in his father and I don't think Christopher will ever trust his father again. Trust is like a china plate, once broken, no matter how hard you try to fit the pieces back together again, the cracks are still there. Christopher no longer thought of his father's house as home and I don't think Christopher will ever fully trust his father again.
Christopher doesn't empathize with his mother because he doesn't understand that other people have minds of their own. I believe that's why the event of the smarties and the pencils was brought up earlier in the book: as an attempt to explain how Christopher thinks. He feels happy staying with his mother, so that means his mother must be happy as well. He doesn't get that people can feel emotions outside of his own. He just assumes that they are all feeling the same thing. Although he can't relate to how his mother feels, his mother makes attempts to reach out to him. This shows an improvement in their relationship, because back before she eloped she was impatient and angry with Christopher. Now she respects his likes and dislikes, and realizes that he can think and understand just as well as anyone else. This is apparent when Mr. Shears is talking about Christopher like he's not even there, and his mother comes to his defense by stating "He can understand what you're saying, you know."
After working hard to accomplish something, being deprived the opportunity to do that is possibly one of the worst things imaginable. Christopher has been dependent all his life on the people around him due to his mental capabilities. Even though Christopher likes to do things on his own, there are usually people discouraging him because they want to protect him. Christopher remains very determined to study his math throughout the entire book, even during his crazy adventures. I noticed that math books were one of the items that Christopher always brought with him showing his driven personality to succeed.. When Christopher gets told that he will not be able to take his test he gets angry and upset as any of us would get if we were in his position. The test was one thing he could accomplish on his own which he took joy in doing. We can prove that he enjoys being independent because he continued to solve the mystery of Wellington even when he was told not to, and he runs off on his own. Even though Christopher is different from the average student, I could even see myself being upset if someone told me I was unable to complete something I worked hard for.
My take on Mr. Shears' reaction to having Christopher stay with them is that he is very unhappy. He was obviously content with having Christopher completely out of both of their lives and having Christopher's mother all to himself. To me, he is extremely selfish in saying that Christopher is only welcome to stay for a few days and that he needs to go back to his father. He doesn't care about taking care of Christopher, he only thinks of it as a burden. This tells me that he is a self-absorbed man who doesn't want to handle other people's baggage. This also tells me that the relationship is based solely on the fact that the two wanted to get away, not on children or taking care of her child. This made me lose any respect for Mr. Shears that I had left. He doesn't care for Christopher, he just wants his mother to himself. They must not have had a very strong relationship.
I do think that Christopher will trust his father again. He will never fully trust him, his father ruined that by never telling him two very important things, but he is already making progress towards trusting him again. Christopher has stopped screaming when his father is in the same room as him like he did when he first was around his father. Also, Christopher agrees to stay for five minutes to talk to his father when he asks him to. The details that Christopher included in his story about listening to his father outside of his room show that he is interested in what his father does. The dog that his father gifted to him is also very significant because he promises to Christopher in that moment that he will never hurt him and that he wants a relationship again. I honestly think that Christopher will take those baby steps that his father is asking him to take in order to build trust again. If Christopher was brave enough to travel to London completely on his own when he hates everything about being in public, then he will be brave enough to begin to trust his father again.
Mr. Shears’ reaction to having Christopher stay with them was downright uncalled-for. His treatment of Christopher—particularly in what he says and how he treats him is completely rude. It shows how insensitive he really is. Either Mr. Shears’ couldn’t see that Christopher was hurting and needed the love and support of his mother, or he simply didn’t care. Frankly, Mr. Shears’ actions when Christopher is staying with them only further prove that he is incapable of acting like a decent, civil human being. This also provides the reader with a greater view into his relationship with Christopher’s mother. Neither Mr. Shears nor Christopher’s mother appear happy and/or satisfied with the costs versus the benefits of the relationship, and as a result they are only torn further apart with Christopher’s arrival; yet neither will admit to it and work to resolve their issues. It is this sheer sense of awkwardness that leads one to think that their relationship was on a bad road from the start, based on nothing but physical attraction, and Christopher’s arrival just happened to be the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Christopher’s mother seems…out of practice. She appears to faintly remember what it is like to be a mother—but she needs a little bit of practice. She does seem to genuinely care about her son and be willing to put his needs ahead of her own. However, sometimes she appears to have “lapses” in her thought process. For example, Christopher is determined to take his math test back in Swindon, regardless of the costs he may incur. Yet when he asks his mother to take him back to his hometown by train so that he could take the test, she replies with quite a lackluster response because she is afraid of what her ex-husband, Ed, might do—yet, when Ed shows up in London late at night, Christopher’s mother promises not to let his father hurt him? This thinking doesn’t quite add up. Since it is only an hour by train from London to Swindon at the cost of €30/adult ticket one-way ($39.96/adult ticket one-way), anyone would think that Christopher’s mother would at least attempt to get her son back to Swindon for his test. Nope. Instead, she calls his headmistress and reschedules his test for the next year!
It’s hard to say for sure whether or not Christopher Boone will ever again trust his father. If he does, it will definitely take time. Trust is not something that spontaneously matures overnight. Christopher’s father made some terrible mistakes—yes he was hurting. There is no doubt about that. But how did he make Christopher feel when he told him that his mother was dead when in all actuality, she had run off with Roger Shears, leaving his ex-wife, Eileen to pick up the remaining pieces of the Boone family. The situation would have been much better handled if Ed Boone had simply told his son the truth from the start—that his mother had run off with Mr. Shears and he and Mrs. Shears were looking after each other.
Mr. Shears is a total jerk when Christopher goes to stay with them. He acts selfishly, not the way you should behave when your wife's child comes to stay with you for the first time ever. He argues about him leaving and creates arguments that result in Christopher’s mother and himself screaming at the top of their lungs, and Christopher so disturbed he needs to sit in another room with headphones on. In my opinion Mrs. Shears is better off without her total ass of an ex-husband, and Mr. Shears himself is Christopher’s mother’s bad karma for abandoning him. As for Christopher’s mother, i’m a bit more fond of her than I was in previous posts, she actually seems motherly in these last chapters. Leaving Mr. Shears and their long relationship must not have been easy, but as a mother it was the right thing to do (But it wasn't the first time she up and left her husband). She’s also a hero when she gets Christopher’s test back on track, which turned out to go really well for Christopher. If she isn't redeemed in Christopher’s eyes yet, I think that she’ll get there soon.
I really hope that in time, Christopher will forgive his father and that they can continue the relationship they had before, and maybe now an even stronger one. I’m not saying that he deserves Christopher’s love and forgiveness, but thinking of the family as a whole, it would be best if he did. Christopher’s mother could get back on her feet, his father would have more help, and he would have a whole family, complete with a new dog. The new dog, Christopher’s hopes, will buy his trust back and provide Chris with a new friend to replace Toby. Christopher loves animals, especially dogs, because it’s easy to understand their simple emotions. Animals serve as a bond of trust between him and other human beings, he even speaks to Mrs. Alexander solely on the fact that she has a dachshund named Ivor. Also Chris’s father takes him to the Zoo after he hit him as an apology because Christopher finds it so comforting. Hopefully with an addition of the new dog, their family can heal.
Christopher's mother is kind of awkward with him because she doesn't really know him. It is obvious that she wants to be a good mother to him, and she wants what's best for him. She proved that when she left him, even though that doesn't seem like a very nice thing to do, she knew it was best for Christopher. She knew that she wasn't very good at handling an autistic child, so she thought it would be best for him to live with his father. Christopher's father was always patient with him and really knew how to take care of him. She tried being a good mother by writing him letters all the time. It was obvious that leaving Christopher was very hard on her and that she did love him. She was so happy to see Christopher when he came back, she gave him a big hug, but then she was quickly reminded that she couldn't do that. She would be a very good mother to a child without special needs, but she just doesn't know how to fill Christopher's needs.
Christopher's dream here I found rather disturbing. He is blissfully happy when everyone who is not like him dies from a virus caught by understanding others emotions. The idea of so many dead humans doesn't bother Christopher at all, and it actually makes him happy. I believe this dream make Christopher so happy is because he enjoys the idea of going to new and fun places, but he hates the other people there. At other points in the book it showed that Christopher wouldn't hesitate to hurt another person with either his fists or his swiss army knife, I believe this dream maybe an extension of that. Christopher (due to his autism I assume) doesn't feel regret for hurting others, nor does he become too upset by the idea of someone dying (shown with his lack of response when his mother "died"). This dream is so significant because it shows insight to Christopher's want to be alone. It shows the opposite of what most would think of as a happy dream. Christopher needs others to survive with a comfortable lifestyle, but he doesn't want to need them.
I think Christopher and his mother will have a better relationship now than they did before. I believe his mother realized how much she missed her son when she left, and even though he ruined her relationship with Mr.Shears, I think she is happy that she can be back in her sons life. He also, once again, feels like he can trust her. She helped him, and took him in when he needed her help. She proved to him that she was trustworthy and that she wouldn't abandon him. The fact that she didn't let his father take him when he was afraid of him built a stronger bond between them. While some may have been bitter for Christopher "ruining" now two relationships, I don't think she would feel that way. I don't think she wanted to be with a man that couldn't accept her son. The fact that she went back to Christopher's home, even though she had no money, and no job. She gave up her comfortable lifestyle in London for him, and I believe they will grow to have a strong relationship because she has realized that it is her job to help him and has experienced life without him, and he again knows that he can trust her.
I believe Christopher's mother is a motherly person, but struggles to be the right person for Christopher's needs. She wants to hug and love her child and to be able to take him to fun places without making a huge scene. I believe she is a very motherly person, and tries her best, but simply doesn't know how to be a good mother to Christopher. She proves this when she continues to contact her son even when she believes he is angry at her and hasn't replied to any of the letters for years. She also proves it when she protects him from Mr.Shears and leaves her comfortable lifestyle to take care of him again. She may be not be the most understanding mother for Christopher, but I think she really does try her best.
I really hate Mr. Shears. When I first learned he had run off with Christopher’s mother, I really didn’t like him due to the fact that he was involved in the affair that split up two marriages and left a child without a mother. My hatred began when he started acting like a tool to Christopher and his mother. He was not understanding of the situation at all when Christopher showed up at his place in London. I was expecting him to be alright with taking Christopher in, and I feel like if he loved Christopher’s mother he would have made a better effort to figure the situation out instead of just fighting with everyone. I think he really wanted Christopher’s mother’s old life to be completely gone, and when part of her old life came back, he couldn’t handle it. Overall I just thought that he is not a good person and definitely an unlikeable character in this novel.
I think Mr. Shears is kind of a jerk for his reaction to Christopher staying. It's typical of someone who is selfish enough to cheat on their spouse to have a reaction like this. Christopher is obviously a special needs child, and Mr. Shears is definitely not equipped to handle him. All Mr. Shears can think of is this being an infringement on his life. Mr. Shears and Christopher's mother's relationship was already rocky, and the added strain of Christopher was enough to make it snap. This just shows that someone who was capable of cheating obviously wasn't ready for another serious relationship.
Christopher’s dream does not seem happy to me. If I had that in my head I would categorize it as a nightmare. Everyone dying with me as one of the few survivors solves that problem. Also, he mentioned that only people like him would still be alive. Then he could be alone without being alone. He could follow his own schedule, and there wouldn't be any variables messing up his day. There’d be no more guessing peoples emotions either because he would either be alone, or with other people like him who are honest and don’t understand all the social cues either.
Mr. Shear’s character made me angry. He was extremely rude about Christopher entering his home. I understand that having to take in a kid that he doesn’t really know, especially when this kid has Christopher’s problems, can be difficult, but he should be more understanding. I also didn’t like the fact that he was going to hurt Christopher and/or his mom. That relationship didn’t have a strong enough base to continue on, and it probably shouldn’t have started at all. I’m glad the two of them got out of the situation before Mr. Shears could do anything. Overall he seems like an awful person.
The significance of Christopher’s mother stealing Mr. Shears’ car in order to return home is that it shows that Christopher’s mother no longer feels anything towards Mr. Shears… except for hate. This action of returning Christopher home to his father is because she is legitimately worried about her son’s well-being in a house with Mr. Shears. This also shows that she is willing to put her anger towards Christopher’s father aside in order to ensure her son’s safety. Another possibility for why she is returning could be because she forgives Christopher’s father’s lies about her existence. My reasoning for believing that this could also be a possibility is because she doesn’t seem to have (as much) hostility towards Christopher’s father. Perhaps it’s because she left him for Mr. Shears that she finds his lies now vindicated.
I believe that Christopher will soon learn to trust his father once again. For starters, after his test, Christopher speaks to his father for the first time since he learned the truth. This action once again places hope in his father’s heart to someday resume his bond with his son. Not only that, but Christopher also decides to hear his father out for the requested five minutes. If Christopher truly didn’t care, he would have just continued to avoid his father. Lastly, Christopher’s father’s gift for his son (the dog to later be named Sandy) is truly loved by Christopher. This is significant because not only does Christopher states earlier in the novel that he likes dogs, but it also is as if Christopher’s father is trying to makes amends for killing Wellington. By giving the life of a new dog meaning, he hopes to make up for the life of the dog he took.
I think that Christopher's mother is motherly, but not for Christopher. She hugs him as soon as she sees him, but forgets that Christopher does not understand emotion. I think that Christopher's mother wants to be a "normal" mother very badly, but Christopher is different so that will never happen. I don't think she understands how to be a mother to Christopher and she doesn't understand his needs either. I think that Christopher will trust his father again, but it will take some time. I think it would be good for Christopher to trust his father again because he was really the only person that understood him. His father knew that he had to be patient with him and knew how his brain works. In the long run, it would be better for Christoper and his father to be together.
Completing the math test was very important to Christopher, but he didn't care about the results of it at all. The reason that Christopher is thinking this way is because he is a very persistent person. When he wants something done, he has to do it. I noticed this when he was trying to solve the murder earlier in the novel. He had to get in done no matter what. So, the results didn't matter to him because all he wanted to do was complete the task at hand.
I think that Christopher's dream of a virus that kills everyone that is not like him is what he wishes would happen. It would be like heaven for him, a place with very few people that would not analyze each other, have emotions, touch, or ask him questions. The dream makes him happy because it's a would where he can live as he wants, free from other people.
Trust is something that when it is lost is hard to earn back. I know I have been in a situation where I still do not know if I can trust them. But I believe the best thing we can do is try. Especially in his case it being his father. It would be best for himself and the family if he forgives his father. I do not think that I would in his case though. You think you know a person and one day you see a whole different side. Its hard, so I cannot blame him if he does not end up forgiving his father.
I think Christopher will trust his father again. Maybe not in the same way he has before, or maybe not completely, but I believe there are still paths they could take to heal such a wound. Although Christopher lives with his mother, his father is still a big part of his life. His father gave him Sandy, who lives in his house. Christopher also helped his father make a vegetable patch in their garden. It will take a lot to logically change Christopher’s decision of not trusting his father. At the conclusion of the novel, he doesn’t seem too interested in mending that relationship. Yet, his mother and father seem to be working together to have a healthy relationship among the three of them. There’s always hope for improvement and a better life, and Christopher knows this because of his goals of becoming a scientist with a First Class Honors degree. Hope is one emotion that Christopher can relate to.
I think Christopher and his mother will have a better relationship now. The whole experience seems to have matured his mother. She now realizes how much of Christopher's life she has been missing, and how much she owes him. Even though Christopher is a handful, she loves him and I think is grateful to have him back in her life. Her time away from him has made her realize how much she actually wants him in her life. I also think Christopher's broken relationship with his father will improve their relationship. As twisted as that sounds, without his father, Christopher will now be forced to lean on his mother more that ever.
I really don’t like Mr. Shears at all. He seems very selfish and doesn’t seem to care if he hurts other people, he wants what he wants and if he doesn’t get his way he throws a fit. He doesn’t seem to care about other people’s feelings; his bad decisions have led to the end of his marriage to Mrs. Shears and to the end of the relationship between him and Christopher’s mother. It also seems like he isn’t good at handling hard situations that mess up his routine. I didn’t think the relationship was going to last, if Christopher’s mother was writing letters to Christopher to tell him to come visit, but Mr. Shear’s clearly didn’t want him there it shows that the two of them didn’t communicate very well, which from I have heard communication is a key in any relationship. I think Christopher’s mother really tries to do her best with him, but she just doesn’t know how to handle him and it tests her patience and she doesn’t seem to have a lot of patience to begin with which presents a challenge. I think she is still learning and being Christopher’s mother obviously presents some different challenges that not everyone is able to deal with. I think Christopher’s mother taking Mr. Shears car and taking Christopher home is a sign of growth and maturity, instead of feeling sorry for herself she is finally ready to be back and take care of Christopher. I think it could also be that she feels better that Christopher doesn’t feel comfortable around his father and so now she feels that she is an important part of Christopher’s life because he felt like he could go to her in his time of need.
Based on Mr. Shears reaction to Christopher staying over I think he is a very self-centered selfish person. It seems he does not care about how happy Christopher and his mother are to be reunited. He is only worried about how Christopher will affect him. You can also tell that the relationship between Mr. Shears and Christopher's mother are at a rough patch. They seem to not be getting along and they are not agreeing on anything. I thought it was very motherly of Christopher's mother to make Christopher feel comfortable when he arrived. It seems she has Christopher's best interest at her heart now.
I give Christopher's mother credit because she is always trying to be a good mother and to take care of her son as much as she can even though she can't control her anger which ends up getting in the way most of the time. With Mr. Shears in the picture and Christopher knowing everything that has been going on the past two years he's a kid with a lot of confused emotions. His mom tries her best to be a motherly figure and for the most part she does a decent job aside from her not treating Christopher a little differently because well, he is a different kid. It takes a lot of heart to reach out and put in the effort of the "Mom" role and I give her credit. She just needs to watch her anger and frustration when she does something that Christopher disagrees with! Not every mother is perfect but I think she should make a little more effort to dealing with her son's personality a little better!
When Christopher's mothers steals Mr. Shears car to bring Christopher home you can tell that their relationship is over. Also, you can tell Christopher's mother has choose to start a new life with her son and has given up her life with Mr. Shears. It seems she now wants to be a significant part of her son's unlike before. I now think Christopher and his mother will have a great relationship. This is because Christopher now trusts his mother more than anyone and feels comfortable being with her. But I also think Christopher will rebuild a relationship with his father again. This is because his father loves Christopher and wants to do anything to rebuild trust. He really shows he is sorry when he get Christopher a dog.
Mr. Shear's reaction to Christopher staying with them is one you would expect. He is not happy with the fact his girlfriend's son is here to stay with them. Mr. Shear's and Christopher's mom both left their lives to be with one another and now their past is coming back to haunt them. This shows how mean and cruel Mr. Shears is. He's not warming or welcoming to Christopher at all. This also shows how weak his and Christopher's mom's relationship is because he was unable to compromise on this deal or try and stick it out to make her happy. Instead he was mean and rude about it the entire time.
You are able to tell the relationship between Christopher's mother and Mr.Shear's is truly over once she steals his car to take Christopher home. It is ironic because in the beginning of the story Christopher's mother left with Mr. Shear's in his car to leave Christopher alone. Now Christopher's mom is leaving with Christopher to leave Mr. Shear's alone. I'm happy with this because you could tell how rude and mean Mr. Shear's was as Christopher was staying with him. I think Christopher's mom also realized all she has been missing and wanting to make up time with her son and knew she couldn't do that with Mr. Shear's around. Going back home with Christopher was the only option she had if she wanted to rebuild her relationship with Christopher once more. I hope Christopher is able to rebuild his relationship with his father once more also.
I definitely think that Christopher has a better relationship with his mother now. Considering he never had one before I think he is just trying to get used to the idea of having a mother. Clearly, she was not happy with Mr. Shears otherwise it would not have been so easy for her to get up and move back with Christopher. As far as trust goes, I don't think Christopher will ever truly trust his mother or his father. He thinks too logically to make a mistake like that. His parents won't be able to fool him. He is way too smart for that.
I think Christopher's dream is very interesting, yet a little strange. When most people have dreams where people die, they would call it a nightmare and it would make them feel sad or even scared. But when Christopher had this dream, he was very happy. He doesn't really like other people around all that much, which I think goes along with him possibly having Autism, so he really enjoys being on his own. He can do all the things that he loves to do and he has no one to stop him. Although now he thinks this is a good dream, I think he would really start to miss some people after a while.
I hate how Mr.Shears reacted to Christopher coming to stay with them. Obviously even though Christopher's mother left she did it because she knows he deserves better. At first I thought she was being selfish but now I see that she loves Christopher enough to let him go, yet she helps him when he needed her. She really cares about him. The fact that Mr.Shears treated him so harshly shows how selfish HE is compaired to what I thought of Christopher's mom. You could tell that their relationship is most likely over when she decided to take Christopher home.
Mr. Shears' reaction to Christopher staying with them was very rude. I think it shows that he is a very selfish man and that he doesn't really love and care for Christopher's mother. He wants her to himself and he doesn't want anyone else, even her own son to get in the way or bother them. But when you really love someone, you care about their feelings and their problems in life. You don't act the way he did and tell them their own child can't live with them. This makes me feel like he felt lust towards her rather than love. I think she did the right thing by leaving with Christopher. It shows that even though she made the mistake of having an affair and going to London in the first place, she has realized that she needs to put her family first and do what is best for Christopher.
I think she and Christopher will have a better relationship now because I truly think she has changed from this experience. She may not have known how to care for Christopher before because he is different, but now that she has come into contact with him again after everything that has happened, I think she will be much more patient with him and be able to put him before herself.
I think that the math test was so important to Christopher becasue he wants to do the best he can do and he knows that if he does the best he can, the results wont matter as much as the thrill of actually taking the test. He knows he is smart enough to take it. That's why his dad was so bent on making sure he got the chance to. Father knows that Christopher is smart and that he wants to succeed.
Mr. Shears was not happy at all. He was rude and insensitive when Christopher showed up. This shows how he is with Christopher’s mother as well. If he really cared about Christopher’s mother he would've welcomed Christopher into their home with care and compassion. This also shows me that Mr. Shears is not a caring and compassionate man. He is very rude and doesn't care about anybody but himself and maybe for Christopher’s mother before Christopher showed up. He also is not very patient which isn't going to work well with Christopher because of how high maintenance and particular he is with everything. Ever since Christopher showed up all Mr. Shears and Christopher’s mother did was fight and it eventually led to Christopher and his mother leaving because she was going to end up getting hurt physically. This tells me that Mr. Shears and Christopher’s mother didn't have a good relationship if he won’t accept her son and be happy that he is living with them.
Yes because he is starting to do more and more stuff with him at the end of the book. His father also got him a puppy to replace Toby to show that he cares. At the end of the book Christopher starts planting a garden with his father and starts talking to him more. His father is trying to make Christopher trust him little by little and it is starting to work. His father was going to try everything and not give up until he had Christopher’s trust back again. I think Christopher is realizing that now that he has both parents again that he is becoming more and more happy. Now that his mother is living in Swindon with them he can rely on both of his parents now and that he should come around to his father because his mother can’t do it all on her own. At the end of the book it seemed like they were becoming a family again which really made me happy because that means Christopher can have a happy family again.
Christopher is intoxicated by the dream because he is basically with multiples of himself but wearing other faces. I mean why wouldn't he enjoy the dream? All people want to do is fit in to social groups with similarities to them. Granted i'm not too fond of the "Walking Dead" or "I am Legend" of biological immunity leaving only so many people alive. I understand that it's a dream and it shows Christopher's want for social acceptance but it's all too surreal for me. I guess everyone needs hope though, and this dream comforts as well as lets him believe when he sleeps he can be with people like him. When you are with other people just like you, you know what they think, what they feel, you understand them which means you can trust them. The problem is everyone is different, and it's difficult to find trust in those you can't understand.
Mr. Shears is the type of guy to yell at you for playing in your front yard and for example you kick a ball 2 feet into his lawn he claims it as his and yells at you. He's a complete pig with his manners and turned down an autistic kid from his house. It really bothers me when I read and deal with people like him. He reminds me of Harry Potter's uncle almost but even the Dursley's took Harry in. Yes, taking in a kid is a very big deal, especially the woman you ran away with's son. He still could have let him stay for a few days and discussed everything over. Honestly I have no idea for any reason why his mother abandoned him for Mr. Shears. He's abusive and rude, there was no walk off into the sunset scenario plausibility whatsoever. But in the end Christopher and his mother got out before any more damage was dealt.
Mr. Shears and Christopher's mom have a fragile relationship, this much is obvious from the first time we see them together. Then when Christopher arrives his mother is sympathetic because she misses her son. Mr. Shears on the other hand will have nothing to do with Christopher and only thinks of him as a burden. I didn't expect much more from him, but still it's rude. Christopher is a special needs child but Mr Shears doesn't seem to care and only looks out for himself. This leads to them stealing Mr. Shears car and Mr. Shears and Christopher's mom going their separate ways.
Just like each and everyone of us Christopher wants to succeed. He wants to prove to others he can be helpful because he knows he can be helpful. He's very persistent and likes to do math thats why he's so eager and wanting to take the test. Math is what Chris does best and I think that he wants to prove to everyone how good he really is.
I found Christopher's dream very interesting. It seemed strange to me at first but then after thinking about how Christopher thinks about things it was not weird at all. He likes to know exactly what is going to happen. If everyone in the world dies besides people like Christopher then he can do whatever he wants and knows that there will be no punishment because nobody will be near him. Him wanting to be an astronaut is similar to this dream because he will be all alone in space. Being alone and thinking is what he likes best.
Christopher, despite all that has happened, is focused on his goals. He wants to ace his Math and Physics exams, go to college, and become an astronaut. He is very determined at proving he can be something even though many people look down on him as nothing. Christopher is strong-willed in the fact he won’t let anyone tell him he cannot do anything. He is very admirable in these traits, which he is able to have because of his lack of emotions. Even though most people see the lack of feeling as a weakness, he has turned it into a great strength. I root for Christopher to follow his dreams, and to let no one hold him back, or stomp on his genius.
Throughout a majority of the novel I was thinking Christopher’s father was the “bad guy,” but the more I learned of his mother, the more I realized I was wrong. She caused a lot of complications with leaving Christopher’s father, which he tried to cover up for Christopher’s sake, thus making him look like the bad guy. It is actually extremely sad that she did leave Christopher, and was extremely unmotherly. However, she did not run off guilt-free. She wrote letters constantly, probably trying to appease the massive amount of guilt she felt. She also, in the end, managed to get Christopher back home again, which was a motherly thing to do. All in all, I see her as flighty and over-emotional, but at least she tried and did not completely forget about Christopher.
Christopher's lack of emotion is a blessing, and a curse. It's one of the reasons why we use robots in surgery that requires an extreme amount precision. emotions are powerful and will rip through our logic if we let it. If a doctor has to do something that could be potentially life threatening, emotions will run wild. Which is why Christopher is compared to the Turing test. Which is for computer vs. humans. This comes around to the math test. Math is all logic, no emotion.
Christopher’s dream is really weird. I think he just wants there to be only people like him on earth. He doesn’t want to worry about being afraid of people or of people touching him. He doesn’t want to have to do things he doesn’t want to do, like look in other people’s eyes at their faces. He just wants to do what is comfortable for him, and have nobody reprimand him about it. I think that’s why he has that dream. I think it makes him very happy. I think that mother is being motherly to Christopher. She makes breakfast for him, takes him to get clothes, and lets him leave when he becomes frightened. She also wakes up at 2 in the morning when she realizes that he is gone and goes and looks for him and finds him. Those things are very motherly.
Christopher’s persistency on taking his math test shows us that if he plans to do something, he’s going to do it. He is a very determined person and gets very angry and upset when things that he planned to do don’t happen. I think the fact that mother stole Mr. Shears’ was her trying to be independent and stand up to Mr. Shears. But her going back to him was kind of like her giving in to Mr. Shears. She tries to stand up to him and stand up for herself, but she slumps back into him and goes right back to him. I don’t think that Christopher will ever be able to trust his father again. He won’t even speak to his father without his mother telling him to. He also hides when his father is around. I think Christopher will always be scared of his father, and that is very sad.
Christopher's dream is very twisted and bizarre. However, it does let us see a lot about him. It shows us that his true happiness is when he is alone. He talks about being a detective for fun and breaking rules. He really likes the idea of doing whatever he wants to do. He likes being free to go wherever, but he still likes the comfort of living in his home. When Christopher goes to his mother's Mr. Shears doesn't think he can stay. Mr. Shears seems like a selfish and rude kind if person. Him saying that Christopher can't stay shows that there is some stress on his relationship with Christopher's mother.
Christopher's mother seems like a good enough mom at the time of his arrival, but the fact that she ditched him still leads me to believe she is not all that great of a person. She really tries to care for Christopher when he first gets to her house, but she forgot how he is and does some things that he doesn't like. Nevertheless, she cares for him as best she can. When she steals Mr. Shears' car, this emphasizes the failing relationship they have, but her moving back shows that she wants to fix her relationship with Christopher. I think she will really work hard at having a better relationship with Christopher, and it may actually work out.
I found Christopher's dream to be slightly disturbing. Of course, knowing Christopher, this is one of his favorite dreams because he is alone. I thing it is significant because he talks about it right after he went to London and he deals with the stress of the train station. Reading about his experience actually made me sweat and tense up because it reminded me of other uncomfortable situations. Christopher doesn't know what he wants to do because he wants to go home but he doesn't want to be where his father is because it is "dangerous". In Christopher's he is alone and he isn't looked at as someone who is different. He doesn't have to worry about where he is or who is there because nobody can tell him what to do or who to do it with. To most of us, being alone is on of the most frightening thoughts. To Christopher it is a dream world.
From the beginning I've never been fond of Mr. Shears', which is what the writer probably intended for people to think. His reaction to Christopher stay with them was similar to the reaction you would have when being asked to pet sit. In the few times we read about Mr. Shears' he is always made out to look selfish in some way. Before they found Christopher at their home, Christopher's mother and Mr. Shears' were in the middle of a fight which already shows that their relationship was not as strong as we thought. I think Christopher was a turning point for his mother and it opened up her eyes that she didn't have to stay with Mr. Shears'.
I thought that Christopher's mother was going to be a hard working, dedicated mother, given the fact that Christopher demands more attention than your average kid. But once everything in the novel was coming together and the author made it apparent to the reader that Christopher's mother actually left her family, my perspective changed about her. When Christopher's father finally confronted his wife, he shed some light on what it was like taking care of him while being a single parent. "I cooked his meals. I cleaned his clothes. I looked after him every weekend. And you? You wrote him some f***ing letters." (pg 196). The times she was very motherly towards Christopher was when she did not hesitate to have Christopher stay with her and her lover, which I appreciated. She offered to buy him clothes and made his favorite foods and took care of him for the most part.
Christopher’s mother is both motherly and not at the same time. She respects that he hates hugs and touches hands with him as it is his usual greeting with others. She also was concerned that Christopher never wrote to her and tells her the father kept the letters he tried to give to her. At the same time she was not that great of mother. She never tried to write to him or call him to tell him she was okay. Instead Christopher’s father plagued his mind with lies that his mother was dead and became a rather bitter person after she left him. In a way it is both of his parent’s fault that he turned out the way he did, their fighting caused a major rift in their relationship resulting in the murder of an innocent dog, and tainting Christopher’s relationship with both parents. They have only themselves to blame for that one.
I think that replacing Toby with a dog really shows that his father wants him to have someone he can confide in. He also wants him to have a friend who will be there for him, as well as make things after the incident with Wellington. Christopher’s father is trying to mend the bond between them and personally I think this is a great start. The father is trying to set things right and I give him credit for trying but their relationship will definitely take some time after all that he has been through. Dogs are great companions and hopefully Christopher will be able to eventually forgive his father and move past it. Maybe caring for this dog will help Christopher become a better person, as well as help him over some of his social issues. I also hope that the dog will be a lifelong friend to Christopher because I love my dog so much because they are always there for you in hard times.
When I read Christopher's mother's letters I thought she wasn't fit to be a mother and it was probably best that Christopher doesn't see her as much. But then I remembered what kind of child Christopher is and how difficult it must be to raise him. Her behavior is awkward and unmotherly because she doesn't know how to quite talk to Christopher about his needs. She forgets a lot about him, especially that he doesn't like to be touched. Also she seems selfish because she won't let Christoper go back to take his level A math class. Even though this may be the case, you can see how much she loves him and how much she has missed him and that shows how she is very motherly and loving.
It is obvious that the relationship between Mr Shears and Christopher's mother is not a pleasant one. He seems very selfish and prideful. So his reaction to Christopher staying with them was expected. However, what I found very odd was the fact that Christopher's mother never disciplined him, especially when he walked out of the house in the middle of the night. She told him never to do it again but like Christopher mentioned in the beginning of the novel, she doesn't explain it the way that Siobhan does. I mentioned that to get to the point that she didn't even give Mr Shears enough reason to stop saying offensive things to Christopher. In my opinion, I think that a mother should take more offense to that than how she did. This tells me that she does not have a strong backbone and that Mr Shears is in control of the relationship.
I wanted to go off tangent a bit here and discuss the change in Christopher’s goals. In the beginning of the book, Christopher states that being an astronaut thousands and thousands of miles away would be a “Dream Come True.” As the book progresses, Christopher takes on the role of a detective who has to “Take Risks.” Then, on the very last page before the appendix, Christopher says that he wants to get a First Class Honors degree and become a scientist. He comes to this conclusion because of all the things he had accomplished already. (Also, he is an author.) We know that Christopher only thinks logically, but why shouldn’t he be an astronaut anymore? In my mind, astronaut outranks scientist any day. Perhaps, it is because he can’t take Toby on a spacecraft. But why should such a logical person change his mind? This is the question I’ve been wondering about. Any thoughts?
Ed lost Christopher's trust by taking a dog, Wellington, out of his life, and now, in an effort to regain that trust, he's brought a new one into it. It's as though Ed is proving to his son that, yes, we can take care of it and love it and build a relationship with it and rebuild a relationship on it. All his life, Ed had been the only person, besides Siobhan, that Christopher had fully trusted. And now, to lose that trust and have to earn it back, Ed will do anything. I think the significance of Sandy is that, to take care of him, they're going to have to work together and be together. Ed is forcing his company on Christopher in the hopes that he may earn back his son's trust. If that's not amazing parenting, then I honestly don't know what could possibly be.
Mr. Shears's reaction on Christopher staying with them is definitely uncalled for. If he really loves Christopher's mother, he would have welcomed him into his home with open arms even if he didn't necessarily want him there. When you're in a relationship -- especially the proper adult kind that Christopher's mother and Mr. Shears have -- you don't just get one person, you get their whole family. It's selfish of him to put Christopher's mom in the position to basically pick either him or her son. His attitude towards Christopher is very telling of his and the Mother's relationship. It's very rough and strained, with him essentially controlling her life. The two of them got together because they were both feeling lonely, but an important thing to understand is that mutual loneliness does not equal love. Their relationship was doomed from the very start, and Christopher coming back into their lives was the last straw.
When Christopher’s mother took Mr. Shear’s car to bring Christopher home, I was kind of happy. I don’t like Mr. Shears and the fact that Christopher’s mother brings Christopher home is a sign that she is choosing her old family over him. Even though she had an affair and ran away from her family, for some reason I do like Christopher’s mom. She seems like a caring person and I can tell that she loves Christopher very much from the dozens of letters she writes him. She seems motherly to me but it is an awkward kind of motherly because I don’t think she knows how to take care of Christopher and interact with him. I think she is scared of him a bit because when she lived with him and her husband, she often got angry and this caused many problems. She sacrifices a lot for him in the short time they are together again, and this to me means a great deal. She is a good person I believe, despite the mistakes she made in the past.
I think that Christopher's persistence on taking his math test shows how little he cares about other people's complications or situations getting in the way of what he wants to do. I think that he also doesn't understand the concept of other people's problems very well. This can also be seen in how he empathizes with his mothers situation. He doesn't. He truly does not see or understand how he is (non intentionally really) tearing through every aspect of his moms life and ruining a lot of things. He's just concerned about taking his math test.
I think Christopher's Mother is awkward at first only because she hasn't seen her son in so long. However, I believe her motherly instincts start to kick in quickly, and she welcomes her son with open arms. She makes sure that he is bathed and has a nice bed to sleep in during his stay at her home. She also buys him all of the clothes and necessities that he needs. I also thought it was very special how she remembered that Christopher didn't like to eat foods that weren't red so she made him tomato soup because he new that's what he preferred. Christopher's Mother didn't feel any different towards her son and wanted to build a relationship with him again, she was just unable to do so because of Christopher's Father. I think her son showing up at her doorstep presented her with the perfect opportunity to have a the Mother and Son relationship they were robbed of because of the lie that Christopher's Father told.
Christopher's determination to take his math test is very admirable and shows readers that he does care about his education and wants to advance in life. It's obvious math is one of the things in life that he is very knowledgeable about, so it's no surprise that he has advanced very far in the subject at his school. He explains that he has prepared and studied for the exam every day and has worked extremely hard to get the opportunity to take the test, but when he realizes that he is no longer home, he is very persistent on his Mother getting him to the school to take it. I would probably feel the same way if something I had been preparing for for so long could possibly be taken away and left unattainable for another year just because I wasn't there to do it.
Mr. Shears being so upset about his girlfriend’s son coming to stay with them indicated to me that they did not have a very good relationship. He was not supportive of her family, and did not treat her very nice. This confused me, why would his mom leave her son to go live far away with a jerk like that?! I do however feel bad for Christopher’s mother. She hasn’t seen her son in a long time, and now she finds out that her ex-husband said she was dead. After being separated for so long, she seemed to have lost her motherly skills that were specified for Christopher. But throughout the time where she goes back to Swindon, she starts to adjust to his needs and get back to being “motherly”.
Christopher’s mother doesn’t seem to know how to handle Christopher and his character. She tries to understand him but almost tries too hard. Her behavior is definitely unmotherly when she just packs up and leaves with Mr. Shears without a care for Christopher. She writes but that still wouldn’t give the motherly care Christopher needs if he had read them as she sent them. When Christopher arrives at her house, she isn’t what I would call unmotherly, but she is definitely awkward with Christopher and doesn’t know how to take care of him. She is motherly, however, by loving him with every part of her. She still cares for him and will give anything to achieve a better relationship with Christopher. She even argues with Mr. Shears and Christopher’s father to try to help Christopher in any way possible.
There are multiple times in the novel where Christopher sets his mind to something and does it. Some examples are: solving the murder of Wellington, running away to live with his mom, rescuing Toby in the Subway, and finally, taking his math test. His completion of all of these tasks shows how persistent he is and he is not someone who just gives up. This is why he keeps on nagging his mother to let him take the test. Since the beginning of the novel he seemed pretty excited about it. He knew he was going to get an A –he said that from the get go. But I think he wanted to take the test so bad to prove to not only others, but himself everything that he is capable of. He wants to be successful and his good grade he got proved that one day he could be.
I think Christopher's mother is trying her best. She obviously loves Christopher very much but life is crazy and Mr. Shears is kind of a jerk. She hasn't lives with (or seen) Christopher in two years, and even when she was still with his father, she would get frustrated and angry. She's acting motherly because she's giving up her normal life to take care of Christopher. She is getting calls from Christopher's father and fighting with Mr. Shears but she is still trying to take care of Christopher. She may be awkward or come off unmotherly but she was thrust back into this life with Christopher and she needs time to adjust too.
From the beginning of the book I could tell that Christopher was proud to be different. He liked his way of thinking and stuck by it no matter what. What Christopher also wanted to do was prove to those around him that although he was different than most, he was extremely intelligent. By passing this math test this would open a whole new world to Christopher in his eyes. This test wasn't just a matter of getting a passing grade like many tests do to us, it meant showing people how Christopher is normal and can succeed no matter what is thrown his way.
To me Christopher's mother is motherly. She tries to hug him and do kind things with him but unfortunately he doesn't respond to it well. Although she made a bad decision by deciding to stay out of Christopher's life altogether, she tried her best to be a decent mom but it became too much for her to handle. The only reason I can see her being unmotherly is because of the circumstances she had been put under. She couldn't even touch her child without setting him off. I believe Christopher's mother drew a bad hand in the game of life but she could have been an amazing mother to a different kid. I feel bad for Christopher's mother because I realize that such a situation would be difficult to deal with but again, I do not believe she should have left when the going got tough.
i love Mr shears in this part because I've been longing for a person to hate. and he is the first person that has actually been a bad person. so bad in fact that you want bad things to happen to him. he acts like he is a stray dog that he has no connection to. i also like how the mom tries super hard not to make him mad and tries to win over him. like for example, the food thing she makes only the food that he likes in the colours that he wants. he doesn't understand his mothers situation or empathize with it, i think, because all of her problems are self created. she could have had no problems if she hadn't made poor choices in the past. i also think that the puppy was important for him. children need pets and especially chris
I think Christopher will eventually trust his father again. It will definitely be a long project like his father said, but I feel like Christopher will trust him again to some degree at least. The new dog will be a big help in this and Christopher and his father planted a garden together which is a good start. Christopher seemed good about is and I think this will lead to the building of their relationship. Christopher's father gets him the dog to try and start rebuilding Christopher's trust in him. It is significant in the fact that his father got the dog for him and he was also the one who killed Wellington. The book also begins and ends with a dog. In the beginning it was the departure of a dog and in the end it's a new arrival of one that Christopher will come to love more than the dog that started the whole thing.
Christopher’s dream is a frightening dream in my eyes. The way he makes everyone eventually die makes me sick. However, he seems to enjoy it because he prefers to be alone. This is significant in the way he just wants everything to end and for him to have a family again. Also the fact he is alone gives him the satisfaction and pleasure of not having to deal with anyone or anything. I am more of a “people person” and I do not agree with Christopher’s mindset. Frankly, being the only person on the planet would be awfully scary. I wouldn’t know what to do to occupy the time. Christopher’s dream really gives readers a deeper look into his mind and what makes him happy.
I don’t believe that Christopher and his mother will have a better relationship because they are just back to their old ways before she left. They were awkward to each other and didn’t communicate well. Communication is an important part of relationships, and Christopher is already bad at it. If his mother isn’t so great at it either, I don’t see how their bond can grow. No matter how kind she is to him now, his mother still abandoned her family. I don’t see how any child, even one as emotionless as Christopher, can look past this. In order for their relationship to prosper, Christopher’s mom is really going to have to be the best mother she can be and show her son that she really cares.
In this part of the novel, Christopher arrives at his mother’s flat in London, with his mother being surprised to see him. Although his mother was happy to see him, Mr. Shears wasn’t feeling the same way. Due to this fact, I think it caused a lot of awkwardness towards Mr. Shears and his mother, causing her to want to move out so she could be reunited with Christopher. I believe a lot of the arguing between Mr. Shears and his mother was because of him showing up at the flat, and Mr. Shears didn’t want him to stay with them, while his mother thought otherwise. On a separate note, I liked the end of the book, and it seemed everyone was happy and on a civil note with each other.
I find Christopher's dream fascinating. It really describes his perfect world. It's kind of sad that most everyone would have to die for that to happen, but it's true.
Another thing: I love how depicts people. In this story, no one is really a great person. But also, no one is really horrible. It's just a bunch of good people making mistakes. Like Christopher's father. I really believe he is working with Christopher best interests at heart. He's just confused as to what those interests should be. It's like real life. We all make mistakes, no matter how good we are.
I'm not really sure what to make of Christopher's mother. She does feed him and bathe him and makes sure he feels safe like a normal mother would do. She does however seem to be a bit disconnected. She's not as loving and as nurturing or close as normal mothers tend to be. I understand it's difficult with a kid like Christopher but she just doesn't seem to be that good at parenting. Which I guess is part of the reason she left in the first place. One thing I don't understand is how she forgot he doesn't like being touched, maybe she just got caught up in the moment after not seeing her son for so long and then he just shows up, but it seems to me like a unique thing you wouldn't forget. I think she does try her best though and truly cares for Christopher and his well being like a good mother does.
Mr. Shears has quite the episode when he learns Christopher is staying with them. I feel like he is overreacting to the situation because Christopher is such an isolated person that he could really cause them no trouble. The fact that Mr. Shears fought with Christopher’s mother about the situation and basically ditched her shows that he is not a very committed person. Whenever something in his life seems to not go his way he gives up and leaves. This tells us the relationship is not strong between Mr. Shears and Mrs. Shears, as well as with Christopher’s mom. Mr. Shears and Christopher’s mom can’t seem to solve problems well together and argue frequently. I think he definitely overreacted and isn’t that great of a person overall.
Mr. Shear's reaction shows that he is not an easy-going person, and he likes control. Christopher is a wild-card and could potentially disrupt his routine and life. I think the couple's relationship was one-sided and there were probably a lot of arguments. He isn't willing to change his life for Christopher or even give up enough time/effort to make him feel comfortable.
Christopher's mother's move back home indicates she's ready to start over for her son. She stole Mr. Shears' car to get them home, which also shows Christopher is most important to her. She sacrificed her relationship and home with Mr. Shears to help Christopher.
Mr. Shears' reaction to having Christopher stay with them could be seen by anyone. It's obvious that he is a man that wants to live for himself and only do or give if it affects him in the way he wants. He is very much in control of Chris' mother. Christopher's mother was doing motherly things to Christopher, but she never defended Christopher with a solid case. She doesn't seem to be the type to want to stand up for her reasoning. I think that Christopher's mother knows that she made a big mistake by leaving his father for Mr. Shears.
I don't find Christopher dream as "happy" at all. I hardly even consider it a dream at all. What Christopher doesn't understand is that loneliness and social exemption is not only very depressing but very unhealthy. Being alone, but still with other people like him would be no different then being completely alone. Due to the fact that he doesn't understand the importance of interaction with others who are friendly and outgoing, he decides he never wants any social activity at all. It's sad to me that he doesn't see it because it really is so important.
I think that Christopher's relationship with his mother will be much better than previous years. On the other hand, his relationship with his father probably won't change very much from how it was after Christopher found out that he's a liar. Although his father got him a golden retriever to replace Toby, I'm not sure if Christopher would take that as an apology or if he would just take it as he has another pet. Even with so much going on at the time, Christopher seemed to only really care about taking his A level maths, he was so dead set on taking it. He didn't seem as worried about the results, because he knew that he could get an A on it.
I have a strong dislike for Mr. Shears. Anybody who finds the need to be mean and rude without good cause needs to figure out their life. He has no sense of kindness and has the audacity to turn an autistic child away from his house. Christopher has nothing to do with the scenario he is in, and being turned down simply because he didn't get the best cards played in his life is simply cruel. Taking a kid in is a huge responsibility, and sure it probably isn't a good reminder of what happened for Mr. Shears, but it still is just a common act of kindness. It completely dumbfounds me that Christopher's mother would run away for a man like Mr. Shears. Honestly, it shocks me that anyone would ever go for a man like him. Christopher and his mom getting out was a big deal to me, and really brought me a lot of happiness to read.
Christopher's dream scares me. Why would he want a virus to kill everyone on the planet so he would be the only one left? I guess he likes being alone now that I remember the whole astronaut thing and how he could live in the international space station alone in small spaces. I want to how the author came up with the idea of a disease that could be caught even by starring at someone through a television, creepy. I guess Christopher is happy because he is free to do as he pleases without having the fear of running into someone and touching into them or having to "chat". When he awakes from the dream, it made me happy to hear the he was happy because those moments are rare in this novel. This chapter made it really hard for me to relate with Christopher because I could never imagine having a dream similar to this or even being happy alone. It's so sad that he's not good at making connections with people because I feel like he is missing out on such a great thing in life, poor Christopher.
I kind of understand why Mr. Shears acted the way he did when he found out Christopher was going to stay with them. He was confused. It was a shock to both him and Christopher's mother. I think his reaction would have been better if he had had prior warning to Christopher arriving. It's always hard when people stay with you, and Christopher is a handful. I think he should have been a little more understanding though because it is his wife's (girlfriend? fiance?)child.
Christopher's mothers behavior to Christopher is a little awkward but I think it's because she hasn't been around him or seen/talked to him in so long. Its almost as if she's forgotten how to act like a mother to him. I think that Christopher isn't really sure how to pick up where they left off. He thought she was dead for so long, and now she's back. They're both just a little hesitant.
Well since i already wen ton my little rant about Mr. Shears, I guess i will move on... My take on Christopher's mother is very similar to Marley's. I think that she wants to be a good mother for Christopher, but she just doesn't quite know how. She forgets the things that make him tick, and she seems to be battling with depression which probably doesn't help with Christopher not picking up on emotions. I was very happy when she stole Mr. Shears car and headed towards home, which was the right thing to do in my opinion. She seemed to realize that being a mother was more important than staying with some jerk who controlled her. Christopher's persistence to take his math test shows us how much he cares about succeeding and accomplishing any goals he sets for himself.I think that Christopher and his mother will eventually have a better relationship after they both adjust to each other again and work on building their relationship. Personally, I think that Christopher will end up moving back in with his father because his father is almost buying his love back and Christopher always feels the safest when he is at home. Christopher knows the test is so much more important than what he actually receives on it because he is reaching the goal he set for himself and destroying the stereotype of special needs children, what a happy ending.
I personally don't think Christopher will ever be able to fully trust his father the way he used to. His father killed Wellington which was a huge deal to Christopher, plus he lied about his mother dying. He never showed Christopher the letters and I think that really messed with Christopher's head. Yeah, it might have been easier for his father to lie about where his mother went, but she obviously still wanted to be a part of his life and Christopher's father denied him that.
Christopher's good dream would have been a nightmare to me but I can understand why he likes it. I thought it was so morbid at first because I thought he wanted everyone dead. After reading the part where he explained that he liked the dream better when people walked into the ocean as they died, I realized it wasn't meant to be morbid. He likes this dream so much because it gets rid of the most complicated thing to him. The dream is significant because it shows how much he does not like/understand people. He seems to recognize that he is not on the same page emotionally with normal people. His dream goes along with his conscious thoughts too. He always has to imagine being the last person on earth to calm himself down. Also being far away from people is a major reason he wants to be an astronaut. I think this dream makes him happy because it shows him what life would be like if everything that stressed him out was gone. He could do what he wanted with out having to worry about other people at all.
The reason that Christopher is so concerned with taking his math test rather than the results is because he had it set in his mind that the test needed to be taken. Christopher wants to be a good person, and believes that doing things as they are planned, scheduled, and arranged makes him so. Also, he has never really worried about his intelligence before because it always came naturally to him.
Christopher is bent on taking his math test because getting successful results means he can go to a good school and pursue a successful career. Getting an A on his A-Levels would show everyone else that yes, he is smart and he can be independent. Christopher is something special, and he knows it. More importantly, Christopher has the rest of his life mapped out in his head, and it's important for things to stay on schedule or it will screw the entire order for him. When his mother suggest postponing the test until next year, Christopher is furious because that was never part of the plan. Structure is vital to him, and postponing the test ruins the entire pathway he has set for his life.
Christopher's dream would seem very stragne and frightening to any other individual. However, living with people everyday you are so diffrent from you and do not understand you is even more strange and frightening. Christopher just wants a break. He wants to be undestood and to understand the others around him. It is a little concerning that he would get satisfaction out of so many people being killed, but I understand his reasoning.
I do not sympathize with Christopher's mother in any way. When you say the word mother you think of someone who takes care of you and is always there for you, essentially someone who is loving and "motherly". Christopher's mother appears to be none of those things towards Christopher throughout the book. Towards the end though during their encounter she tries but she doesn't know him, he essentially isn't her son but instead a stranger. I understand why Christopher is so angry towards her. She was never a mother to him, she wasn't there for him so essentially he did not love her for being a mother and did not care about her feelings. I don't believe that Christopher's mother makes the choice to bring him home because she is choosing her old family again, I believe she makes that choice because she finally was faced with the guilt of what she has done to her son and her family as a whole. Every decision has consequences and she has finally realized the full magnitude of hers.
The relationship between Mr. Shears and Christopher’s mom is very shaky. It would not take a lot for it to fall apart. The two of them becoming a couple was almost an accident in that if they hadn’t been both looking to leave their spouses they wouldn’t have been. Their relationship was based off their annoyances with both of their marriages, not their feelings. The way that Mr. Shears treats Christopher was enough to end this relationship. It just wasn’t the right fit for Christopher, as he needs more care and love. Mr. Shears is not the fatherly figure that Christopher needs in his life as he is not one at all. It was probably for the best that Christopher’s mother that Mr. Shears and she aren’t together because he wasn’t a very nice man.
The math test was so important to Christopher because he realized he wants to succeed so badly. It opens a plethora of doors for him to excel within himself and the world. The hardest part of the test was trying to get the administrators to allow Christopher to take the test. The test was important for him because it set him apart from the other kids at his school. He knew that he would pass the test, and he wasn’t surprised with his results because he already knew. Christopher so desperately wants to excel and grow as a person. Unfortunately, his Mom’s interest was at the expense of that because she lost her job, boyfriend, and apartment.
After reading about Christopher’s dream I found it to be kind of dark and upsetting to myself. I find it extremely peculiar and some would even say disturbing that he dreamed of everyone in the world dying. Christopher’s dream is his utopia. He is in control of what happens and he knows what is going to happen. Christopher talks of going where he wants and choose what he wants to eat. Christopher is in complete control of this world. Christopher has an angry dangerous psychopathic behavior patterns. In his dream, with everyone dead, there is no uncertainty to what Christopher might do. What I got from this chapter of the novel was that Christopher seems to think he is an complete control of everything and no one will stand in his way.
Christopher wanted to take the math test so badly because he wanted to prove that he was smarter than the other kids. He didn't want to be labeled as dumb for being in a special school. So Christopher worked really hard and did well in school then he convinced his teacher to set up his A level math test. He thinks that if he can just take he math test then everyone will know that he is smart and will do something in life.
Christophers mother is trying to do the best that she can in her situation. She wasn't a good mother to begin with. She was never patient with Christopher but now that she is kind of stuck with him because he won't go back to his dad she is trying her best. Even though Mrs. Shears doesn't want him around. She sticks with Christopher and even moved back so he could go to school. which shows that she is motherly looking out for her son trying to make him happy.
Christopher doesn't empathize with his mother because he can't realize what he is doing to her. He doesn't understand the situation he has put her in by just coming to live with her. He forced his mother into letting him live with her. She couldn't just send him back to be with his dad because with his special traits it just wouldn't work. Christopher just can't realize that by him being there his mother is fighting with Mrs. Shears and he is putting a lot of pressure on his mom. Christopher can't empahtize with her because he doesn't know the feelings that she is going though in this situation.
In Christopher's dream was much of an unusual dream because he was happy that people died. I do though understand because he feel like hes not in the right world and that only people like him understand him. I like the way he says it like a computer virus that people spread by human contact. What i felt a little creepy was that he was so happy that even his father wasn't there in the house and he lived by himself which i Know is what he wants. I also find it interesting that he views us humans like fools that think we are the entire world but we won’t last forever and that insects one day would overrun us all. I think Christopher could teach us all how we aren't the only powerful things that lives on this planet. We are just the big one that takes over everything.
Christopher is very concerned and worried about taking the math test because he is so focused on succeeding. As sad as it sounds, I believe that the feeling of succeeding and doing something right makes Christopher feel meaningful and that he actually is worth something. The satisfaction of success is like no other, and Christopher thrives on it and it pushes him to want to be successful in everything he does. He is especially gifted in math and the fact that he is stressing over the test shows that he is always trying to improve and prepare so that he will have higher chances of being successful.These are great attributes and will most definitely help Christopher in his future career. With the competitive world that we live in it is always important to have the "edge" on someone or something so you will be more likely to succeed.
I don’t believe that Christopher will ever be able to trust his father completely. He may come to trust him eventually, but not like he did before. Christopher’s dad is willing to rebuild their relationship and regain his trust. At one point in the novel, Christopher is listening in on his father in the other room. If Christopher truly didn’t care about him, then he wouldnt have done that. But by Christopher doing that, it’s showing interest and that he actually cares about what he’s saying. I think Christopher will finally overcome things and work with his father to regain that trust and the relationship back.
Christopher becomes very determined to take this math test. He wants to prove to people his knowledge and show people what he’s capable of. He wants people to know how smart he is. Even though Christopher is very different, he is intelligent. By passing this math test, would show to people that he can succeed at things and that he is smart and a normal human being. He doesn’t want kids looking at him and thinking that he’s “dumb” because he’s in a special school. He wants to prove that he can actually do something in life and that he’s smart.
The dream Christopher had seemed ver strange to me. He was happy in his dream, although to me, I would call that a nightmare. He likes being alone and doing things on his own it seems like. But in reality, he likes being at home. He wants to be the only him. He wants to be different than everyone and one of a kind. He wants everyone to vanish except himself. He wants to be alone and everyone not like him to die. He is happy though. When I think of people dying, I become upset and sad and somewhat disturbed, but Christopher becomes happy because he wants to be the only one on earth and to be left alone. He’s happiest when he’s by himself.
Christopher’s dream during this chapter kind of freaks me out. I once had a similar dream where everyone on the planet died except for me and I woke up terrified. I enjoy being alone often, but the fact that Christopher is extremely content with being alone forever is a bit extreme to me. This dream obviously shows that Christopher lives completely inside of his own head and really does not need to depend on anyone but himself. The way Christopher thinks is sometimes so foreign to me. I would hate being the only one on the planet. He is clearly an introverted person and being alone makes him happy because he does not need to figure out anyone else’s emotions or worry about what anyone else thinks but himself.
Christopher will never truly trust his mother or father but I feel as though he has a better relationship with his mother now. He’s never really had a mother figure before and he’s just now getting used to it. His mother left Christopher for Mr. Shear, but now she’s leaving Mr. Shear for Christopher. She chose to start a new relationship with Christopher.
While I am not the biggest fan of Christopher's mother, I can see why she felt awkward in the situation. How did she face her son whom she had abandoned? What would she say? Sure, she had been writing letters to him but things are different when you come face-to-face with someone that you've experienced a problem with. Think of it in a modern day way- texting. People handle so many issues over texting or instant messaging that should be handled in person, but they do it over text because it makes it easier - in most cases- for them. Like when someone "breaks up" with another person over a text message. It may not be right, but sometimes it's easier to do than doing it in person. It's kind of similar for Christopher's mom. She wrote him a letter, rather than tell him goodbye like she should have.
Christopher will never be able to have full trust in either of his parents because of the terrible things they both have done, and I think that's why he wants to succeed so much. That, paired with being "different" and seen as a bother for most of his life. I think that he feels that if he succeeds at things, then he'll have something to hold above others and have something to be proud of himself in.
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