Megan NortonChildren’s LiteratureProfessor Cardinal12/6/12

The Boy That Was Raised By Ghosts

Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book is a mystical tale about a boy named Nobody Owens

that, because of a tragic murder, is brought up by ghosts. In order to understand Gaiman’s novel,

it is important to look at: character development, setting, point of view, elements of style, plot,

and theme. Without all of those aspects, The Graveyard Book would not be the chilling mystery

that it is because they make the story stand out within the realm of fantasy.

Nobody Owens is the main character of the story. The inhabitants of Potter’s Field gave

him the Freedom of the Graveyard which impacts his interactions with those who are living. For

instance, when Bod and Scarlett first go to the Frobisher Mausoleum, she says that she “[sees]

him slip through walls, like a shadow,” (Gaiman, 49). Then when she says goodbye to him she

says the she does not care that he is imaginary. Bod’s abilities given to him by the ghosts in the

graveyard, like fading, cause him to appear more ethereal to the living. It could also be the fact

that a little girl would find it strange for a boy to live in a graveyard that would lead her to

believe he is a figment of her imagination. Another instance that demonstrates his freedom’s

affect on the living is when he goes to public school for the first time. When Bod first arrives, it

is said that “even the other kids forgot about him,” (Gaiman, 182) and that “his presence was

almost ghostly” (Gaiman, 183). However, when Bod rises a little above the radar, two bullies

start harassing him, which makes Bod seek revenge. He uses his graveyard gift to dreamwalk

into Nick’s dreams and intimidates him to change his ways. Not only did Nick change his ways,

but he stops talking to his partner in crime, Mo. Bod uses the Freedom of the Graveyard to his

advantage throughout the novel, but there is more to him than his graveyard-given abilities.

Bod’s name has significance and is a bit of a pun. Nobody Owens is intended to sound

like “the boy that nobody owns”, which is true. No body owns Bod since his family is dead and

ghosts have taken their place. In addition, as said before, the living barely notices Bod’s

existence, so to them, Bod is nobody. Besides his name, the clothes Bod wears says something

about his personality, especially when it is contrasted with Scarlett who wears “bright colors”

(Gaiman, Page 40) and Bod wears “dowdy and drab” (Gaiman, Page 40) colors. In comparison

to Scarlett, Bod’s clothes are nothing special or noticeable, but Scarlett is a beacon of light.

Bod’s clothes do serve a purpose in protecting him by helping him blend in to his bleak

surroundings. Similar to the dull colors Bod wears, Bod is a static character. In comparison to

Charlotte Doyle, Bod does not go through a dramatic change. Charlotte chops off her hair and

leaves her family for a life at sea, meanwhile Bod simply grows up. The only significant

realization he comes to his that he is Nobody Owens and not the baby who escaped death in that

nursery those thirteen years ago. Bod still leaves eager to see the world just as he was in the

beginning of the story. Bod is also a round character. The reader knows a lot about Bod and his

past based on what the narrator provides in the first chapter. They know who killed his family

and how it was done, how Bod survived, and that the man is still looking for him. As Nobody

grows up, he learns about who he is, not only from the Owens’s, but his guardian, Silas.

Silas is a character shrouded in mystery. Even after the story is read, the reader is left

with the question, what is Silas? After much time and data collecting, the reader is able to infer

that Silas is none other than a vampire. Gaiman provides the reader with several hints as to what

this pale, cloak-wearing creature might be. For instance, the narrator points out that Silas is not

able to “push the minds of the dead as he [can] the living, but he [can] use all the tools of flattery

and persuasion he [possess], for the dead are not immune to either,” (Gaiman, 23). Vampire have

been known to have the skill of hypnotizing the living into doing whatever they desire or wiping

their memory, like Silas does to Scarlett at the end of the book. Another hint is that Silas “only

[eats] one food, and it [is] not bananas,” (Gaiman, 27). Now this food could be anything, but the

way this sentence is worded suggests something dark and has an ominous tone to it. Yet another

hint is that he lives in the belfry of the dilapidated chapel. It would be most difficult for a zombie

to get up there, and the only feasible way to sleep would be hanging from something, which bats

happen to do. Then, when Bod asks Silas about Danse Macabre, he tells Bod that “you must be

alive or you must be dead to dance it—and [Silas] is neither,” (Gaiman, 149). This provides the

hint that Silas must be the living dead. Since zombies and vampires are the only examples of the

living dead, one must select the most likely choice. However, out of all the hints, the one that

proves to point directly at the answer is when Bod and Silas are at the diner, Silas’s reflection

does not show on the table. Since zombies have reflections, Silas has to be a vampire. Silas is not

only a creature of the dead, but proves to be a good guardian for Bod.

One would never think of a vampire to be something they would want to watch their kid,

but Silas proves to be the exception of the idea that all vampires are evil blood suckers. When the

problem arises about how the boy will be fed, Silas is the first to raise his hand. A most unlikely

candidate, but it is not like ghosts can fetch food for a baby. Silas shares his chapel with the baby

and keeps a watchful eye on him. Silas not only feeds and shelters him, but he helps teach him

how to read. Similar to Tom Oakley in Goodnight, Mr.Tom, Silas helps Bod learn and protects

him from evil. Silas may not adopt Bod at the end like Tom, but he does say “perhaps” (Gaiman,

302) when Bod asks Silas if he will see him again and that there was kindness in his voice and

“something more” (Gaiman, 302). The reader can infer that this “something” is a fondness, an

attachment to Bod, as if he were a son. In addition to teaching and feeding Bod, Silas helps Bod

get out of trouble. When Bod is about to be takes to the police station, Silas, literally, swoops in

and saves the day. However, like any other guardian would, Silas reprimands Bod for being so

foolish. Another example of Silas’s good guardianship is that he makes sure someone is looking

after Bod in his absence. This someone is Mrs. Lupescu.

Mrs. Lupescu is someone that Bod does not originally fancy. Bod says that she is

“horrible” (Gaiman, 67) when he first meets her. Also, Gaiman’s description of her appearance is

anything but flattering. Mrs. Lupescu feeds him disgusting food and tries her best to teach him

about the different beings that exists, but Bod’s thoughts are consumed with Silas’s return. Bod

sees a grey dog wandering around the cemetery, which is the first time the reader unknowingly

sees Mrs. Lupescu in her true form. Bod may find Mrs. Lupescu repulsive at the start, but when

he is kidnapped by ghouls and she comes to the rescue, his attitude changes. Bod realizes that her

lessons about ghouls and night-gaunts had a purpose; it ended up saving him. Now that the Mrs.

Lupescu reveals her true identity, the reader is able to see that her name has significance as well.

The word “lupus” in Latin means “wolf” and the word “scu” means “shield” Hence the

connection between her name and the creature she turns into. Mrs. Lupescu’s name therefore

literally means “wolf shield”, which actually makes perfect sense. Mrs. Lupescu is a werewolf

that protects or shields Bod from harm, like the ghouls. Gaiman provides a hint for Mrs.

Lupescu’s identity, but makes sure he masks Silas’s extremely well. The characters in The

Graveyard Book are not only impacted by their interactions with each other and the living, but

by their environment as well.

The setting is an integral part to The Graveyard Book. Without it, who knows if it would

still makes sense? If it were set in a golden field of wheat or a desert in Egypt, it would lose the

creepy and mysterious mood that the graveyard creates. The mist and the darkness of the

cemetery match well with the dark and mysteriousness of both the man Jack and Silas. The

setting is what these characters are influenced by. The man Jack blends in well with the

bleakness of Potter’s Field because of his murderous tendencies. Silas is also a good fit for this

atmosphere because vampires are just as gloomy as a cemetery. He blends in well with this

surrounding and adds to the question of his identity. The mood also impacts Bod. Growing up in

a cemetery with a murderer after him meant that he had to blend in with the austerity. The mood

of the cemetery is definitely reflected in the grey garb that Bod wears for a majority of his

childhood. The mood of the cemetery can also be described as sad. Like Liza, there are many

unmarked graves and people that did not deserve to die. Liza tells Bod how she wishes she had a

headstone, which is depressing. Apart from creating the mood, the graveyard is important for a

couple other reasons. The first is that it provides Bod shelter from the man Jack as a baby and

through his childhood. If Potter’s Field was not there, there is a good chance that Bod would

have been caught and killed by Jack and there would be no story. Then, Bod uses this

environment to his advantage when he has to defeat the Jacks. He captures one in Nehemiah

Trot’s grave and three in the ghoul gate. If it is not for these attributes, there is a good chance

Bod would have died then and there. Also, if it the setting is not a graveyard how would Scarlett

have met Mr. Frost? He is rubbing graves when she met him and if it took place on a farm, there

would be no graves to rub. In turn, Frost would have not found Bod and if Bod was not found,

the Jacks would not have been defeated. It creates a ripple effect, but an important one. An

aspect that helps build the setting is the point of view of the story.

The point of view of The Graveyard Book is third person omniscient. This is because the

reader knows more about the characters, like Bod, than the characters themselves. Similar to the

setting, if the story is told in a different point of view, it would be less interesting. For instance, if

it were told in first person, then the reader would only know what Bod knew, which, during his

childhood, is barely anything. It is important for the reader to know what happened to Bod’s

family and how he got in the cemetery because the story would not have the suspense. All the

reader would know until the end is that a Bod is raised by ghosts, Bod likes Scarlett, that Bod has

the Freedom of the Graveyard and a couple of other details. Knowing that Jack is looking for

Bod builds suspense and also makes the reader wonder when Bod will find out about his family.

The point of view is pretty consistent, but switches to second person direct address. Gaiman most

likely did this to make the reader think about the statement. For example, “If it sliced you, you

might not even know you had been cut, not immediately,” (Gaiman, 4). Describing the sharpness

of the knife in this way makes the reader think about a sharp knife slicing them. It adds to the

danger that is the man Jack. As for reliability, this point of view is reliable because the narrator is

the only one in the story that could know all of this is happening. The other characters in the

book are pretty innocent and unaware of the goings on. Mrs. Owens and Silas know more than

Bod, but they do not know about the convocation that occurs in the interlude or that Jack smells

Bod in the fourth chapter. Point of view is only one on a long list of stylistic choices Gaiman

makes in The Graveyard Book.

Gaiman’s most prevalent stylistic element is simile. There are well over twenty similes

that Gaiman inserts into his story to make his world even clearer to his audience. Comparing the

Sleer to a writhing snake or the Frobisher mausoleum to a rotten tooth, or the ghouls to squirrels,

the reader is able to get a clear picture of the setting as well as the memorable characters that this

book thrives on. In addition to the picture the reader forms in their head, Gaiman also includes

quite a few illustrations to marry with the words on the page. The illustrations are done by a

gentleman named Dave McKean. Mr. McKean’s illustrations are done in blacks and grays, much

like the wardrobe of Bod. The illustrations also lend a helping hand to the visualization of The

Graveyard Book. It can also be observed that each section or chapter that begins with the man

Jack, like chapter one and the interlude, the pages are completely black with just a hand holding

something. The first chapter shows a hand griping a knife, and the interlude shows a hand

holding a cup of coffee. Then, the pictures of Silas are well done because they give the reader an

idea of what he looks like, but still keep the mystery of what creature he is. The illustrations just

man him look like a man in a cloak, not a creature of the night. The illustrations of the ghouls are

well done because they certainly look frightening and the same goes for the depiction of the

Sleer. The faces of both the ghouls and the Sleer are meant to be scary and I think McKean more

than succeeds. Along with an abundance of similes and well done illustrations, Gaiman also slips

in some subtle symbolism.

Symbols are not easily found and require some thought. One of the more obvious

symbols that are in The Graveyard Book is that the graveyard is symbolic of a library. Since Bod

only has a few books to learn from, Silas sends him out to learn from the gravestones. Much like

a library has books from numerous decades, so does Potters Field. Bod cannot only learn from

headstones, but from the ghosts those headstones belong to. Bod learns about the Romans from

Caius Pompeius, witches from Liza Hempstock, and poetry from Nehemiah Trot. Also, Bod is

able to find all the letters of the alphabet among the graves. This is where Bod learns to read and

learn in general, much like he would in a normal library. Greed is another symbol that finds itself

in a couple instances in the book. The first instance is how greed affects Alabanzer Bolger when

he sees the brooch and learns about the treasure. Greed consumes him so much that he attempts

to kill his friend Tom! The desire to attain wealth is something that can make people do

outrageous things and can cloud their judgment. The other example is the Sleer and the Frobisher

Mausoleum. People have gone into the mausoleum in search of wealth only to never come back.

People were willing to get themselves killed if it meant treasure. At the end of the book, when

Jack wants to perform a ceremony to gain ultimate power, he claims himself as the Sleer’s new

master. He is under the impression he will be able to have the treasure and become the master

Jack of All Trades, however, in his greed, he finds death. His desire to have complete control

cost him his life, much like others who tried to have the treasure to themselves. Each of these

elements of style are important in constructing the dramatic plot of the story.

The plot is certainly different from the complex construction of Goodnight, Mr. Tom,

where the reader would have to guess when certain events happen, but is similar to The Little

House in the Big Woods. This is because both Little House and Graveyard Book are told in an

episodic manner. This means that each chapter has the ability to stand on its own as a short story.

Each chapter has its own minor conflict. For instance, if Bod will escape the clutches of the

ghouls or if Bod will get out of Bolger’s shop without being killed or what the Danse Macabre is.

All of these smaller conflicts help add to the major conflict. The difference between the major

and minor conflicts in this book is that the minor conflicts are all solved by the end of the

chapter, but the major conflict does not get resolved until the second to last chapter. Even though

the minor conflicts are what make the chapters suspenseful, the major conflict is mentioned in

almost every chapter. When Bod asks Silas if he can venture outside the graveyard in chapter

two, Silas tells Bod that the “outside world would not be safe for [him]. Not yet,” (Gaiman, 37).

The man Jack may not be explicitly mentioned here, but the reader knows why the outside world

is not safe because of chapter one. Then, when Bod is escaping from Bolger’s shop, Liza tells

him to take the black edged card that has “Jack” written on it. Bolger is debating on calling the

man Jack and telling him he found the boy he is looking for. This is the first specific reference to

Jack since the first chapter. Then later in the chapter, Jack says that he can smell something

“very tasty” (Gaiman, 138) of course referring to Bod. Jack is unable to detect him as long as

Bod stays in the cemetery, but since he ventured outside those walls, Jack is aware he is still

alive. Along with his conflict with the man Jack, Bod faces other conflicts within himself and

with other people.

Bod’s conflict with himself is trying to find out what happened to his family. This is why

he insists that Mr. Dandy tell him why they killed his family. Bod is desperate to find out why he

is who he is and if he is meant to be Nobody Owens or someone else. This inner conflict’s

resolution comes with the resolution of the major conflict. The major person vs. person conflict

is between Bod and Jack (or even all the Jacks). Bod is resourceful in ending the conflict

between him and the Jack of All Trades. The Jacks try to kill Bod as well as Scarlett. Bod must

defeat the Jacks to save himself and Scarlett. The Honor Guard helps defeat a number of the

Jacks prior to the encounter at Potter’s Field. Bod takes care of three with a ghoul gate and one

falls into a hidden grave. The last Jack, the man responsible for Bod being an orphan, is holding

Scarlett hostage in Frobisher’s Mausoleum. Bod cleverly uses the Sleer to his advantage and rids

the world of the final Jack of All Trades. This is the resolution of the major person vs. person

conflict. Some other person vs. person conflicts Bod encounters include: Bod vs., the ghouls,

Bod vs. Alabanzer Bolger, and Bod vs. Nick and Mo. Each of these minor conflicts comes to a

close through some assistance of Bod’s friends. Mrs. Lupescu helps him escape the ghouls, Liza

helps him escape Bolger’s shop, and the Persson family suggests Bod tries dreamwalking to get

the best of Nick and Mo. Bod also has the challenge of trying to fit in with the outside world, or

better known as person vs. society conflict.

Bod’s desire to become a part of society is obvious from chapter two on. Bod constantly

asks Silas if he can travel outside the graveyard walls and is more often than not, turned down.

Even when Bod goes out into the world for the first time, he wears clothes that are too big for

him that have been in a shed for who knows how long. He also does not know that a headstone

costs a pretty penny. Since he has been out of touch with the world, he is unsure of a lot of

things. A key example of him trying to become a member of society is when he tries to go to

public school. Bod wishes to read more than a ghosts copy of Robinson Crusoe, so, after much

begging, Silas allows him to. Even then, however, Silas tells Bod to make sure he stays invisible

and to not bring too much attention to himself. Bod starts his school days doing just that and

most teachers do not realize he is there. Bod gets himself into trouble with bullies, which is

something that some children do face in the real world. It is understandable that Silas does not

want Jack to hear about Bod being in school or outside the graveyard and vulnerable. However,

it is experiences like these that Bod needs in order to become a member of society. He needs

more interactions with people his age, like Scarlett, to learn about human nature. Once the major

conflict comes to an end, Bod is finally able to travel without danger lurking in the shadows. He

tells Silas before he leaves that he “wants to see life” (Gaiman, 304) and “hold it in [his] hands”

(Gaiman, 304). It is at this point in time Bod will become a part of society like he always wanted.

He may face his bullies here and there, but that is a part of life. This idea of change and

exploring new places are a part of the conflicts within the plot, but are also themes that seen

throughout the book.

The thematic weight of The Graveyard Book would be about three out of five stars.

However, the thematic richness is around four to four and a half out of five starts. This book is

over flowing with explicit and implicit themes. Some examples if explicit themes include: “If

you [don’t] keep your eyes on your children every second you [cannot] imagine what awful

things they [will] be plunged into,” (Gaiman, 58), “You’re always you, and that don’t change,

and you’re always changing, and there’s nothing you can do about it,” (Gaiman, 298), “If you

dare nothing, then when the day is over, nothing is all you will have gained,” (Gaiman, 233), and

“…the world is a bigger place than a little graveyard on a hill; and there would be dangers in it

and mysteries, new friends to make, old friends to rediscover, mistakes to be made and many

paths to be walked…,” (Gaiman, 307). Each of these themes relate back to Bod in some way,

shape or form. The first is relevant because Bod does get into quite a bit of trouble throughout

his childhood from ghouls to Bugler. The second is reflective of Bod being a static character

since he never changes in the book, only grow up. The third reflects Bod’s outgoing attitude.

Despite Silas and others wishes, he dares to go against their word and some of the time he gains

something. For instance, when he went to Bolger’s shop, he becomes the owner of the black

edged card. If he had listened to Silas, he probably never would have found the card and had the

feelings he did towards it. Also, Jack probably would have not smelled him since he would not

have left the graveyard in the first place. This example shows not only Bod’s curious and

outgoing nature, but how this particular theme helps drive the plot along. The last explicit theme

occurs at the end of the book and demonstrates the many things that Bod will face in this new

world he is about to enter. The world is a large place and Bod has been eager to take it on his

whole life. The Graveyard Book also has quite a few implicit themes that also come back to Bod.

Some of the implicit themes are more important than others and there are much more

explicit than implicit, but they are there all the same. Some examples of implicit themes in the

book include: children grow up and leave the nest eventually, a home is not a house, but a place

where you are surrounded by people that love and care about you, and it takes a village to raise a

child. Children do leave their ‘nest’ eventually, whether it is going to college, or in Bod’s case,

leaving the cemetery to become a member of society. Bod’s ‘home’ is taken away from him by

the man Jack in the beginning of the story, but ends up finding his true home shortly after. Even

though Potters Field is not filled with the living, it is filled with beings that truly care for him.

The Owens’s are the first ones to show Bod affection in the cemetery, but they are not the ones

that care about Bod the most. Based on the fact that Silas is more in the picture and plays a larger

role in the upbringing of Bod, it is fair to say he is the one in the cemetery that cares for Bod

with all his undead heart. Why else would he get hit by a car? Or get him food? Or shelter him?

Or look out for his safety? Silas and the ghosts of the graveyard are his home because they love

and care about him. That is what makes his home. The final implicit theme is certainly true.

There are several creatures involved in raising Bod: the Owens’s adopt him, Silas is his guardian

and brings him food, Mr. Pennyworth teaches him how to fade and dreamwalk, Mrs. Lupescu

teaches him about the different walks of life or, in their case, lifeless, Nehemiah Trot teaches

Bod about love and revenge, and Liza teaches Bod about friendship. Without all of these

individuals, Bod would not be the boy he becomes and it is quite possible he would also be dead.

Gaiman is able to take his reader into the world of Nobody Owens with the use of the six

elements of character development, setting, point of view, style, plot and theme. The suspense,

the riddles, and the unforgettable characters make this book a fantastic read for people of all

ages. It is no mystery as to why it has a Newbury Honor Award. Hopefully the suspense will be

just as good, the riddle of Silas just as curious and the characters just as unforgettable when it

comes to the big screen.