The Graveyard Book
"The Graveyard Book", by Neil Gaiman, is a story about a boy named Bod, short for "Nobody" Owens, whose family was murdered by a man named Jack when he was very young. A legend in the story said that one day a thirteen year old boy would unlock a gate in the graveyard that would lead to unimaginable power, but the "Jacks of All Trades" wanted that power to themselves. So one of them found Bod's house, but went for the family first, and couldn't kill Bod in time before the police came. A man named Silas found Bod, still alive, so he took him to be raised in the graveyard with him and the ghouls haunting it. When Bod was 13, he met a girl named Scarlett, who was raised by a man she called Mr. Frost. Later in the story, Mr. Frost reveals that he is Jack, who murdered Bod's family long ago, and when he was alone with Bod, he decided to finish what he started. Throughout the rest of the story, Bod has to find a way to protect himself from the Jacks using the power for evil against Bod, Scarlett, and the rest of the world.
Protagonist: Bod Owens
Bod is a boy with a family of ghosts and only one human, living in a graveyard. Bod is the protagonist because a group called "The Jacks of All Trades" murdered his family in the beginning of the story and is still out to get Bod. Little did Bod know that there was a legend saying that a boy in the graveyard would unlock a gate connecting the living and the dead, and that he was that boy. As life goes on for Bod, he must connect his past to the present to stop the Jacks of All Trades from getting to the power and using it for evil. "People want to forget the impossible. It makes their world safer.”(Pg.289)
Antagonist(s): The Jacks of All Trades
The Jacks of All Trades have a specific order that was not spoken of in the story. In the first chapter, they found Bod's home and knew that he was the one they were looking for, because it was foretold that if Bod were to open the passageway to the living and dead, their order would be gone, and so would they. Jack Frost, the Jack who murdered Bod's family, disguised himself as Mr. Frost, to both cover his tracks as a criminal, and to fool Bod when they were alone. Bod walked into a room, and Mr. Frost followed him in and locked the door. "The hand that had been in the hole in the floor was holding a large, sharp knife. 'Now,' said the man Jack. 'Now, boy. Time to finish this.'" (Pg.255)
Bod is a boy with a family of ghosts and only one human, living in a graveyard. Bod is the protagonist because a group called "The Jacks of All Trades" murdered his family in the beginning of the story and is still out to get Bod. Little did Bod know that there was a legend saying that a boy in the graveyard would unlock a gate connecting the living and the dead, and that he was that boy. As life goes on for Bod, he must connect his past to the present to stop the Jacks of All Trades from getting to the power and using it for evil. "People want to forget the impossible. It makes their world safer.”(Pg.289)
Antagonist(s): The Jacks of All Trades
The Jacks of All Trades have a specific order that was not spoken of in the story. In the first chapter, they found Bod's home and knew that he was the one they were looking for, because it was foretold that if Bod were to open the passageway to the living and dead, their order would be gone, and so would they. Jack Frost, the Jack who murdered Bod's family, disguised himself as Mr. Frost, to both cover his tracks as a criminal, and to fool Bod when they were alone. Bod walked into a room, and Mr. Frost followed him in and locked the door. "The hand that had been in the hole in the floor was holding a large, sharp knife. 'Now,' said the man Jack. 'Now, boy. Time to finish this.'" (Pg.255)
Theme: Survival
The theme of "The Graveyard Book" is survival, because throughout the entire story, Bod, Silas, and the ghouls in the graveyard all made it their mission to help Bod survive against the Jacks of All Trades. In chapter one, Silas found Bod alone in his house, and knew that his family had just been murdered, so he took Bod to the graveyard for his own good. In Chapter 6, when Bod was thirteen, he met the "Sleer", who had longed for a master to protect. "WE WILL PROTECT HIM UNTIL THE END OF TIME. THE SLEER WILL HOLD HIM IN ITS COILS FOREVER AND NEVER LET HIM ENDURE THE DANGERS OF THE WORLD." (Pg.284) This is what the Sleer told Bod, and Bod used Jack Frost's greed to have the Sleer think that Jack was its master, and so the Sleer kept him in its coils forever, and Bod survived. There was also a portal to an abandoned desert in the graveyard, and Bod lured the other Jacks of All Trades into it to get rid of them and their order for good.
The theme of "The Graveyard Book" is survival, because throughout the entire story, Bod, Silas, and the ghouls in the graveyard all made it their mission to help Bod survive against the Jacks of All Trades. In chapter one, Silas found Bod alone in his house, and knew that his family had just been murdered, so he took Bod to the graveyard for his own good. In Chapter 6, when Bod was thirteen, he met the "Sleer", who had longed for a master to protect. "WE WILL PROTECT HIM UNTIL THE END OF TIME. THE SLEER WILL HOLD HIM IN ITS COILS FOREVER AND NEVER LET HIM ENDURE THE DANGERS OF THE WORLD." (Pg.284) This is what the Sleer told Bod, and Bod used Jack Frost's greed to have the Sleer think that Jack was its master, and so the Sleer kept him in its coils forever, and Bod survived. There was also a portal to an abandoned desert in the graveyard, and Bod lured the other Jacks of All Trades into it to get rid of them and their order for good.
Conflict: Man vs. Man
The conflict of "The Graveyard Book" is man vs. man, not man vs. self, because Bod was not fighting himself, he was fighting multiple people. It is not man vs. environment, because he is not fighting his surroundings, he lives with them. Three quarters of the story, Bod and the man Jack Frost were 100% rivals. When Bod met Scarlett and "Mr Frost" Jack had to learn to be pretend friends until the time was right to make his move. So the conflict for Bod was not only the Jacks of All Trades, but the entire outside world.
The conflict of "The Graveyard Book" is man vs. man, not man vs. self, because Bod was not fighting himself, he was fighting multiple people. It is not man vs. environment, because he is not fighting his surroundings, he lives with them. Three quarters of the story, Bod and the man Jack Frost were 100% rivals. When Bod met Scarlett and "Mr Frost" Jack had to learn to be pretend friends until the time was right to make his move. So the conflict for Bod was not only the Jacks of All Trades, but the entire outside world.
Motif: Courage
The Motif of "The Graveyard Book" is courage, because it is repeated in the story that Bod had to be brave to do different things. But the real courage in the story had to come from the spirits in the graveyard who were taking care of him. Bod was never as afraid as the ghouls were. They knew what was out there in the world that could harm him, but Bod wanted to explore, because of a memory of a lullaby his mother would sing to him. "Sleep my baby- oh
Sleep until you waken
When you wake you'll see the world
If I'm not mistaken...
Kiss a lover
Dance a measure,
Find your name
And buried treasure...
Face your life
Its pain, its pleasure,
Leave no path untaken" (Pg.306) So Bod decided to be brave and explore the world, for his mother, because with the Jacks defeated, there is nothing that could stop him or harm him.
The Motif of "The Graveyard Book" is courage, because it is repeated in the story that Bod had to be brave to do different things. But the real courage in the story had to come from the spirits in the graveyard who were taking care of him. Bod was never as afraid as the ghouls were. They knew what was out there in the world that could harm him, but Bod wanted to explore, because of a memory of a lullaby his mother would sing to him. "Sleep my baby- oh
Sleep until you waken
When you wake you'll see the world
If I'm not mistaken...
Kiss a lover
Dance a measure,
Find your name
And buried treasure...
Face your life
Its pain, its pleasure,
Leave no path untaken" (Pg.306) So Bod decided to be brave and explore the world, for his mother, because with the Jacks defeated, there is nothing that could stop him or harm him.
Author's Perspective: Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard Gaiman, the author of "The Graveyard Book" was born in Porchester, Hampshire, England on November 10, 1960. Gaiman started to read since the age of four, and for his seventh birthday, he received C.S. Lewis' the Narnia Chronicle Series, and he "admired the use of parenthetical statements to the reader", and he decided what he wanted to do for the rest of his life, because of this inspirational piece of literature. Neil Gaiman's greatest works were the stories of "Stardust", "American Gods", "Coraline, and "The Graveyard Book", and won a very large amount of awards, such as Hugo, Nebula, Bram Stoker, Newbery Medal, and Carnegie Medal. Neil Gaiman is now 50 years old, and is still writing novels for children that will hopefully inspire them like he was. Neil Gaiman now lives in Menomonie, Wisconsin, and has been living there since 1992. He currently lives with a family of five; his wife, Mary McGrath, and three children, Michael, Holly, and Madeleine. In conclusion, Neil Gaiman is a talented, intelligent, and inspirational author, and his books will definitely inspire young children around the world to become just like him.
Neil Richard Gaiman, the author of "The Graveyard Book" was born in Porchester, Hampshire, England on November 10, 1960. Gaiman started to read since the age of four, and for his seventh birthday, he received C.S. Lewis' the Narnia Chronicle Series, and he "admired the use of parenthetical statements to the reader", and he decided what he wanted to do for the rest of his life, because of this inspirational piece of literature. Neil Gaiman's greatest works were the stories of "Stardust", "American Gods", "Coraline, and "The Graveyard Book", and won a very large amount of awards, such as Hugo, Nebula, Bram Stoker, Newbery Medal, and Carnegie Medal. Neil Gaiman is now 50 years old, and is still writing novels for children that will hopefully inspire them like he was. Neil Gaiman now lives in Menomonie, Wisconsin, and has been living there since 1992. He currently lives with a family of five; his wife, Mary McGrath, and three children, Michael, Holly, and Madeleine. In conclusion, Neil Gaiman is a talented, intelligent, and inspirational author, and his books will definitely inspire young children around the world to become just like him.
Book Rating/Review
The main topic of "The Graveyard Book" is exploration. Even though Bod knew that there were dangerous things out beyond the Graveyard, he did not let that stop him from exploring the world, and that was the biggest thing his mother wanted him to achieve before she died. My opinion after reading this book was that even though the end was very heartwarming, it lacked happiness in some parts of the book. A good thing happened, and then so did a bad thing a few moments later. My rating for the book is thumbs up, because it isn't the best book for kids, but it was the #1 New York Times Bestseller and the winner of the 2009 Hugo Award. The age group I suggest for this book would probably anywhere 9 years and older, because there may be some inappropriate things for young kids, like murdering and threatening, so the reader should be in at least the 5th grade.
The main topic of "The Graveyard Book" is exploration. Even though Bod knew that there were dangerous things out beyond the Graveyard, he did not let that stop him from exploring the world, and that was the biggest thing his mother wanted him to achieve before she died. My opinion after reading this book was that even though the end was very heartwarming, it lacked happiness in some parts of the book. A good thing happened, and then so did a bad thing a few moments later. My rating for the book is thumbs up, because it isn't the best book for kids, but it was the #1 New York Times Bestseller and the winner of the 2009 Hugo Award. The age group I suggest for this book would probably anywhere 9 years and older, because there may be some inappropriate things for young kids, like murdering and threatening, so the reader should be in at least the 5th grade.