The Tao of Pooh
by Benjamin Hoff

Christopher Robin Character Analysis

In the Winnie-the-Pooh books, Christopher Robin is a young boy who lives near the Hundred Acre Wood and befriends Pooh, Piglet, and the other animals. Notably, he helps rescue them when they run into trouble, and he embodies the Taoist principle that nothingness is the path to wisdom when he says that his favorite thing to do is wander around doing nothing. He was based on the author A.A. Milne’s young son Christopher Robin Milne.

Christopher Robin Quotes in The Tao of Pooh

The The Tao of Pooh quotes below are all either spoken by Christopher Robin or refer to Christopher Robin. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Taoism, Nature, and Happiness Theme Icon
).

That Sort of Bear Quotes

The two Fearless Rescues just mentioned bring us to one of the most important terms of Taoism: Tz’u, which can be translated as “caring” or “compassion” and which is based upon the character for heart. In the sixty-seventh chapter of the Tao Te Ching, Lao-tse named it as his “first treasure,” and then wrote, “From caring comes courage.” We might add that from it also comes wisdom. It’s rather significant, we think, that those who have no compassion have no wisdom. Knowledge, yes; cleverness, maybe; wisdom, no. A clever mind is not a heart. Knowledge doesn’t really care. Wisdom does.

Related Characters: Lao-tse (speaker), Benjamin Hoff (speaker), Piglet, Winnie-the-Pooh, Christopher Robin, Roo
Page Number and Citation: 139-140
Explanation and Analysis:

Nowhere and Nothing Quotes

What Chuang-tse, Christopher Robin, and Pooh are describing is the Great Secret, the key that unlocks the doors of wisdom, happiness, and truth. What is that magic, mysterious something? Nothing. To the Taoist, Nothing is something, and Something—at least the sort of thing that many consider to be important—is really nothing at all.

Related Characters: Benjamin Hoff (speaker), Christopher Robin, Chuang-tse, Winnie-the-Pooh
Page Number and Citation: 155
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The Tao of Pooh LitChart as a printable PDF.
"My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." -Graham S.
The Tao of Pooh PDF

Christopher Robin Character Timeline in The Tao of Pooh

The timeline below shows where the character Christopher Robin appears in The Tao of Pooh. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Bisy Backson
Taoism, Nature, and Happiness Theme Icon
Knowledge vs. Wisdom Theme Icon
Western Culture and Eastern Wisdom Theme Icon
In A House at Pooh Corner, Rabbit goes to visit Christopher Robin , but he isn’t home. Christopher has left a note that says, “GON OUT /... (full context)
Taoism, Nature, and Happiness Theme Icon
Western Culture and Eastern Wisdom Theme Icon
...but rather “BACK OUT / GONE SOON.” In the book, Rabbit and Pooh wonder where Christopher Robin went and what he’s looking for. A reward, suggests Hoff: Bisy Backsons always think they’ll... (full context)
That Sort of Bear
Taoism, Nature, and Happiness Theme Icon
Self-Acceptance and Personal Growth Theme Icon
...gets stuck in a flood, he worries that he “can’t do anything” until he remembers Christopher Robin ’s story about a man trapped on an island who sends a note in a... (full context)
Taoism, Nature, and Happiness Theme Icon
Knowledge vs. Wisdom Theme Icon
Self-Acceptance and Personal Growth Theme Icon
...to raise Piglet up to the letterbox. Piglet squeezes through it and goes to get Christopher Robin to rescue Owl and Pooh. (full context)
Taoism, Nature, and Happiness Theme Icon
Knowledge vs. Wisdom Theme Icon
Self-Acceptance and Personal Growth Theme Icon
...However, Piglet decides not to say anything. If his own house blew down, he tells Christopher Robin , he would move in with his best friend, Pooh. (full context)
Taoism, Nature, and Happiness Theme Icon
Self-Acceptance and Personal Growth Theme Icon
...is why Pooh sings “ho! for Piglet, ho!” (and for himself, too). After Pooh’s song, Christopher Robin explains that their party is to celebrate a special person’s accomplishments. Eeyore starts giving a... (full context)
Nowhere and Nothing
Taoism, Nature, and Happiness Theme Icon
In one scene from the Pooh books, Pooh and Christopher Robin are going nowhere in particular. Christopher asks what Pooh likes doing best—it’s eating—but Christopher says... (full context)
Taoism, Nature, and Happiness Theme Icon
Knowledge vs. Wisdom Theme Icon
Self-Acceptance and Personal Growth Theme Icon
Christopher Robin , Pooh, and Chuang-tse are all talking about “the Great Secret” to happiness: nothing. (Taoists... (full context)