Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in A Monster Calls, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Death, Denial, and Acceptance
Storytelling
Isolation
Family and Growing Up
Summary
Analysis
After school, Conor’s grandmother tells Conor that his mother has to go to the hospital because she’s in a lot of pain. Conor tries to protest, but his grandmother tells him sternly that the treatments aren’t working. She also tells Conor that his father is flying in on Sunday to visit. Conor’s father hadn’t visited from America since last Christmas, and Conor wonders why his father is coming now.
Even though Conor’s grandmother is trying to make sure that Conor can be a normal thirteen-year-old boy, she doesn’t want to sugar coat things for him. She wants him to understand that his mother is not getting better so that he can try to prepare himself to lose her. Yet, in not understanding why his father is coming (presumably to say his final goodbyes to his ex-wife), Conor shows once again that he is somewhat in denial about how bad things are getting.
Themes
Conor’s mother calls Conor up to his room, where she is lying on his bed, staring out at the yew tree. Conor asks why she’s going back to the hospital, even though he can see that she’s in a lot of pain. She assures him that she’s going to be okay. Conor’s mother explains that her latest treatment isn’t doing what it’s supposed to do, but that the doctors are going to try to adjust her treatment.
While Conor’s grandmother is trying to be more realistic with him, Conor’s mother is enabling his denial. Even though she likely knows that she will not get better, she wants him to be able to hold out hope and act as though things are normal. These mixed messages prove challenging for Conor, because they lead him to demonize his grandmother for implying that Conor’s mother will die soon.
Themes
Conor says to his mother that she could tell him if things weren’t normal. She doesn’t respond, instead pulling him into a hug. She tells him to keep an eye on the yew tree while she’s away, and make sure it’s there when she gets back. Conor understands that this is her way of saying that she is coming back.
Conor’s mother is not only enabling Conor’s optimism, she is enabling her own as well. In some ways, the more that she tells Conor that nothing is wrong, the more in denial she can be about her worsening condition as well.
Themes
