This is an elaboration of a presentation. It's about the "Dear Nobody" by Berlie Doherty. It will define the plot and characterise the figures. Also there is a summary of the book.
The book "Dear Nobody" is about teenage pregnancy. It shows the problems young people have to face in case of a pregnancy like non-acceptance of the society and problems with their parents, who often blame their kids, and can't accept the new situation. The book is also about the problems of growing up, about kids, who have to make future plans and decide what they want to do with their life. And it is about the relation between kids and their parents.
Berlie Doherty - DEAR NOBODY
Plot: The book ' Dear Nobody ' is about teenage pregnancy. It shows the problems young people have to face in case of a pregnancy like non-acceptance of the society and problems with their parents, who often blame their kids, and can't accept the new situation. The book is also about the problems of growing up, about kids, who have to make future plans and decide what they want to do with their life. And it is about the relation between kids and their parents.
Background: The story takes place in Sheffield, in Great Britain. You can't really guess the time in which the story is set, but I think it takes place in the late 20th century. The people, who occur in the book are members of the middle class. The main characters are teenagers at the age of 18.
Characters:
CHRIS(TOPHER):He is the boyfriend of Helen. He narrates the book with his point of view He is a very sensitive and cheerful person. Chris loves Helen very much and is afraid of losing her. When Helen tells him about the baby he doesn't realise what this means to his life. He cannot think about it he is just desperate not to lose Helen. In the end, when he sees the baby for the first time, he realises that he wasn't ready for being a father. Christopher has a good relationship to his father. He is very happy about getting to know his mother.
HELEN: She is the daughter of an 'intact' middle class family. She loves music and she wants to visit a music college one day. Helen can't talk with her parents about things like love and sex. When she realises that she is pregnant she can't talk to anybody especially not to her parents. It takes very long until she can overcome her inhibitions and tell it Chris. But Chris can't really help her although he suports her emotionally. Because she can't talk to anybody she starts writing letters to her unborn baby. When her mother wants her to have an abortion she flees from the clinic because she can't kill the person she talks to every day. Helen decides to finish with Chris,that he can take his place at Newcastle University and besides she doesn't feel ready to share her life with him forever. She really would like to have a closer relationship to her mother. That her mother tells her that she has been an illegitimate child brings them closer together because now Helen can understand her mother better.
MRS. GARTON (Helens mother):She is very conservative She isn't really happy about the relationship between Helen and Chris. She thinks that they are too young. When she finds out that Helen is pregnant she wants her to have an abortion because she doesn't want what happened in her childhood to happen again.
MR. GARTON: He works in a library but he has always wanted to become a musician. He has never had the chance to visit a Music college. Now he wants Helen to visit the Music college because he couldn't.
When he gets to know that Helen is pregnant he doesn't know what to do or how to behave but he tries to support Helen.
MR MARSHALL(Chris' father):He loves his two children very much and he tries to help them wherever he can. He couldn't forgive his wife that she has left the family.
JOAN(Chris' mom):She was very young when she married Chris' dad. She was searching more for a Father than for a husband. She feels guilty for having left the family. She is very happy to get to know her son.
Summary: The story starts in October. Chris is sitting in his room when his father comes in and brings him a parcel. It is a present from Helen. The parcel is filled with letters which all begin with the same words: ' Dear Nobody'. Chris starts reading the letters and they take him back to January, where the whole story began. The book is a compilation of what Chris' narrates out of his point of view, and Helen's letters.
It all started in late January, nine months ago. Chris and Helen make love without thinking of contraception. When Chris returns home he starts talking with his father about his mother, who has left the family when Chris and his brother Guy were younger. Chris decides to write her a letter. One month later he gets a reply from his mother named Joan. But she only writes about herself and it looks as if she doesn't want to know anything about her son, who she hasn't seen for years. Chris is very disappointed about her.
The next days Helen behaves very strangely. She doesn't talk much and looks as if she is sick. One day Helen tells Chris that she is probably pregnant. First Chris is shocked, but he says, that he will stay with her whatever she decides to do. At that time Helen writes her first 'Dear Nobody' letter.
She makes a pregnancy test, which is negative .She is very happy about the result and she wants to tell it Chris. But at Chris' place she suddenly faints and because of that she makes another pregnancy test. This one is positive. Helen doesn't know how her life should go on and some days later Helen has a failed suicide.
Helen doesn't dare to talk to her mother. But her mother realises that there must be something wrong with her. She asks Helen if she is pregnant and Helen tells her about it. Her mother wants her to have an abortion. So she takes Helen to an abortion clinic. But Helen flees from the abortion clinic and tells her parents that she wants to keep the baby. For the next time Chris isn't allowed to meet Helen because Mrs. Garton tells him that he mustn't get in touch with Helen any longer. But she can't keep them away from each others. Chris is very happy that Helen has decided to keep the baby. One day the Gartons visit Mr. Marshal because they want Helen and Chris to get married, but then they see that Helen and Chris are too young. In the meantime Helen and Chris visit his mother. His mother is very nice. She tells Chris why she left her family and Chris understands her reasons Joan wants to help Chris and Helen with their baby.
At the beginning of June Chris' and Helen's exams start. When the exams are over Helen closes up with Chris. Chris is completely desperate. He still loves Helen very much and he even has made future plans for them.
One day when Helen talks with her grandmother about the pregnancy. Her grandmother says something strange:" Like mother, like daughter". Helen confronts her mother with what her grandmother has said and her mother tells her that she has been an illegitimate child and that she had a very hard childhood because of that. After that Helen feels closer to her mother than ever before.
In summer Chris makes a cycling trip through France with a friend. After the holidays Chris and Helen get their degrees. Helen gets all As and Chris gets A, B, Cs. Chris' mom writes Helen That she will support her financially. Chris mom and her boyfriend visit Chris' dad. Joan wants to divorce because she wants to marry her boyfriend. They spend some days together with Chris.
In October, on the evening before Chris leaves for university Helen gets contractions. She takes all the 'Dear Nobody' letters she has writen and gives them her brother to take them to Chris. That takes the story back to where it began. After having read the last letter Chris drives immediately to hospital to see Helen and his baby.
Their baby is a girl and they call it Amy. The next day Chris goes to University like he has planned to do. One month later he gets a letter from Helen in which she writes him that she is very happy about her life with their daughter Amy.
Book:
Frequently asked questions
What is "Dear Nobody" by Berlie Doherty about?
The book 'Dear Nobody' is about teenage pregnancy and the challenges faced by young people dealing with it, including societal non-acceptance, parental issues, and the difficulties of growing up and making life decisions. It also explores the relationship between children and their parents.
Where and when does the story take place?
The story is set in Sheffield, Great Britain, likely in the late 20th century. The characters belong to the middle class, and the main characters are 18-year-old teenagers.
Who are the main characters in "Dear Nobody"?
The main characters are Chris (Christopher) and Helen. Other important characters include Mrs. Garton (Helen's mother), Mr. Garton (Helen's father), Mr. Marshall (Chris' father), and Joan (Chris' mom).
Describe Chris (Christopher) in "Dear Nobody".
Chris is Helen's boyfriend and narrates part of the book. He's portrayed as sensitive, cheerful, and deeply in love with Helen. He initially struggles to grasp the implications of Helen's pregnancy but ultimately accepts his responsibilities.
Describe Helen in "Dear Nobody".
Helen is a music lover from a middle-class family. She finds it difficult to communicate with her parents about personal matters. When she becomes pregnant, she writes letters to her unborn baby and later chooses to keep the baby despite societal pressures and her mother's initial desire for an abortion.
What are Mrs. Garton's (Helen's mother) views on the pregnancy?
Mrs. Garton is conservative and initially unhappy about Helen's relationship with Chris. When she discovers the pregnancy, she wants Helen to have an abortion, driven by her own difficult experience as an illegitimate child.
What is Mr. Garton's (Helen's father) role in the story?
Mr. Garton works in a library and had aspirations of attending music college. He tries to support Helen when he learns about the pregnancy, though he initially struggles with how to behave.
What is Mr. Marshall's (Chris' father) role in the story?
Mr. Marshall is a loving father who tries to help his children. He has difficulty forgiving his ex-wife for leaving the family.
What is Joan's (Chris' mom) role in the story?
Joan left the family when Chris was young. She feels guilty for abandoning them and is happy to reconnect with Chris. She provides support to Chris and Helen during the pregnancy.
How does the story unfold?
The story begins with Chris receiving a parcel of letters from Helen. The letters take him back to the beginning of their relationship and the events leading up to Helen's pregnancy and the birth of their child. The narrative alternates between Chris's perspective and Helen's letters ("Dear Nobody" letters).
What happens after Helen discovers she is pregnant?
Helen struggles with the news and initially considers abortion due to societal pressures. She eventually flees from the abortion clinic and decides to keep the baby. She faces challenges in her relationship with her parents and temporarily separates from Chris.
How does the relationship between Helen and her mother evolve?
The relationship between Helen and her mother is initially strained due to Mrs. Garton's conservative views and her desire for Helen to have an abortion. However, after Helen learns that her mother was an illegitimate child, they develop a closer bond and understanding.
What happens to Chris and Helen after the baby is born?
Chris goes to university as planned. Helen stays with their daughter Amy. They maintain contact, and Helen expresses happiness with her life as a mother.
What is the significance of the "Dear Nobody" letters?
The "Dear Nobody" letters represent Helen's inner thoughts and feelings during her pregnancy, serving as a form of emotional outlet when she feels unable to confide in others.
- Quote paper
- Johanna Fitzinger (Author), 2000, "Dear Nobody" by Berlie Doherty. Summary and Characterisation, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/95786
