Christopher quotes Mother as saying that his behavior would “drive her to an early grave.” Citing evidence from the text, to what extent does Christopher feel responsible for Mother’s “death”? Do her letters and eventual reappearance change how he feels?

Think of the novel as narrated in the third person, instead of by Christopher. Describe how this change would affect our views of the characters and the emotional impact of the novel.

Christopher appears to believe in always acting logically. Does Christopher always behave logically, and what does this tell us about his character?

Describe the significant ways in which Christopher’s character has and has not changed over the course of the novel.