Sample Book Review on Christopher Boone as a Hero
Introduction
The comic-book superheroes’ episodes are comparable to real life situations since the ordinary life follows a heroic pattern heroic. In real life, people are called to adventure, where the forms of adventure may span from new relationships to a new job (Garland-Thomson and Rodas 361). In each phase, a hero must leave behind the initial situation and start an adventure to the unknown world, which is risky whether there is a call for adventure or the situation is imposed. The experiences of life in the unknown world help the hero to learn from the tests, where the heroic pattern follows ways of strengthening the hero to deal with the ultimate challenge. In the event that one is able to conquer the inbuilt self determination, this person would have reached the echelons of an archetypal hero. In this paper there is a critical analysis of how Christopher Boone becomes a hero basing on his life experiences.
Christopher Boone as a Hero
Christopher Boone displays the characteristics if an archetypal hero from his monumental trip to London (Hobby et al. 236). The fact that Christopher undergoes through the stages of a hero including the childhood, his call to adventure, and the tests he endures makes him similar to an archetypal hero. His endurance to the ultimate test is what signifies that indeed he was a hero. For instance, the incident where he emerges from the land of refuge on the shelf of the train is a subway sequence that is parallel to the incident when he hides from the sight of his father in the garden shed while still young. Both the shed and the shelf are forms of refuge for Christopher, with which he considers leaving behind. The big test comes about in the subway, where he has to escape from the police both while entering the Swindon and the London train stations respectively (Konrad 152). The fact that Christopher’s mom is sure that her boy is brave for having passed the ultimate test, leads to the conclusion that his reunion with the mother is his external reward.
The other point where Christopher displays his heroic nature is when he responds to the urge to take the mathematics examination. Christopher gives a description of his future using his past (Shaw 72). He elucidates that he can do the exam because he had gone to London, where he had solved the mystery of “who killed Wellington”, In addition to this, he believes he found his mother and he was brave to the level that he wrote a book. Here, he implies that he can do anything, including taking on the mathematical exam. He displays the nature of a hero, where he is a risk taker apart from being brave.
Conclusion
It is imperative to note that the heroic journey begins at birth, where the constraints in life and the urge for adventure leads to separation. The separation leads to the trials and challenges, where a helper may intervene. At this stage, an ultimate test comes, which is closely followed up by a reward that is either external or internal. The next stage for the hero is the stage of personal transformation, where the hero may find the need to return home. While at home, the Hero may find his way to the renewal of the cycle with a subsequent separation. The life of Christopher Boone seems to be oneof an archetypal hero, where he endures the life in adventure. Christopher overcomes odds that would shame most of the people in finding a new understanding of the world and his position in it.
Works Cited
Garland-Thomson, Rosemarie, and Julia Rodas. “Book Reviews.” Liverpool University, 2014, 361-369.
Hobby, Aubrey, Rachael Walker, and Mary Gates. “Where Are All the Heroes? A Look at Diversity in American Comic Book Media.” Digital Commons, 2016.
Konrad, Zinta. Ewe Comic Heroes (RLE Folklore): Trickster Tales in Togo. Routledge, 2015.
Shaw, Jennifer A. “Heroes In the Archives and Classroom: The Creation of a Comic Book Collection and Digital Exhibit.” Digital Commons, 2016.