User:Anonrights/sandbox

Synopsis
when his Grandmother dies. The Watson’s are known as one of the “Old families” because they have ancestors who worked in the mines before they were closed, such as Kit’s grandfather. Askew surrounds himself with characters that are from families who worked in the mines. Now that Kit is a part of Askew’s group, he is invited to play the game Death, in which they reenact the death of children in the mines.

Once Kit is chosen for Death, his character undergoes a change; snapping at Allie on multiple occasions. Noting this change, his teacher Miss. Bush follows him and uncovers the game. Askew is expelled from school for being the leader, and to escape his father, who is an alcoholic, runs away and lives in an abandoned mine shafts. Angry at Kit for ending the game and getting him expelled, Askew sends Bobby Carr, another character from the “Old families” group, to bring Kit to the cave where they confront each other in the book’s climax.

After some initial arguments reveal Askew’s madness, Kit tells Askew a story he “wrote for you[Askew].” The story mirrors Askew’s life from the perspective of an early man named Lak, and while telling it they see ghosts from the story. When the tale concludes, the ghost takes a “part of me[Askew]” and he is no longer mad. Allie finds the two of them in the mine after getting their location from Bobby, and they go back to town. Askew is accepted back into school to take art classes, his father stops drinking, and at the end of the novel, Kit’s grandfather dies.

Character List
Christopher “Kit” Watson: Thirteen-year old Christopher Watson, the protagonist of the novel and enjoys writing stories. He is from one of the “Old families.”

John Askew: The antagonist, thirteen-year old Askew, is a character the throughout the novel becomes Christopher’s friend. He is a described as a skilled artist and is from one of the “Old families.”

Alison Keenan: Allison, or Allie, is a character that becomes friends with Christopher and has aspirations of being an actor. She is described as the “bad-lass” by Christopher’s Grandfather.

Grandfather Watson: Grandfather Watson is an old man who lives and has worked in the town of Stoneygate. He worked in the coal mines before they were closed.

Bobby Carr: Bobby Carr, acts as a body guard and messenger to Askew. He is suspicious of Christopher when he first joins their group, and is used by Askew to fetch Christopher for their confrontation in a mine shaft.

Mother and Father Watson: Christopher’s parents play the role of caretakers for Grandfather Watson while he is ill.

'''Miss. Bush “Burning Bush”''' : Miss. Bush is a character who uncovers the game of Death, which gets Askew expelled, and assigns Christopher the story he ends up telling Askew in the mine.

Father Askew: Askew’s Father is an alcoholic who gets sober after Askew returns from running away.

Mother Askew: Askew’s mother is the character tha raises Askew and his baby sister. When Askew runs away she asks Christopher to bring him back.

Major Themes
The major themes of Kit’s Wilderness included conflicting opposites and important relationships. The Horn Book Magazine noted some themes, including “Light and dark, of life and death, [and] of remembering and forgetting.” An interview with David Almond showed how  while writing he kept in mind the “power of friendship.” He went on to note the, “bravery of children.” and how it had played a central role in his writing.

Reception
Kit’s Wilderness received both positive and negative reviews, being praised and criticized by critics. A review in the Forecasts newspaper praised the novel as “Awe inspiring.” Enicia Fisher described the internal storytelling as an “Imagistic tale," though it has been said that reading this book required a “Suspension of disbelief.” The book was also called “Convoluted" by the Horn Book Magazine. And yet, the School Library Journal praised Kit’s Wilderness for its “Otherworldliness.”

Style
Kit’s Wilderness used style as both a literary element and to add another layer to the story. Enicia Fisher noted the “rare break from story-telling tradition,[in which] David Almond gives the ending away at the beginning." She also made a point of the “Web of stories” in the book that resulted from Kit’s story within the story. Enicia Fisher also described the story as a blend of “Magic and realism."

Characters
The characters from the novel are all described fondly as very deep personalities. Kit’s grandfather is described by the Horn Book Magazine as the “wise one." Allie was described as “temptress and protector,” and the antagonist, Askew was described as “Alluring and dangerous.”

Background
Many of the elements from the story were taken from the author’s own life. In an interview he talked about how, in the town he grew up in, “We had a monument...[and]an old graveyard...to a pit disaster” just like in the novel. He also based the game death on “children’s games I played.” In addition he “based the book on his own childhood in a northeast England mining community.”