The Body of Christopher Creed Study Guide

The Body of Christopher Creed reveals the issues of the questionable nature of "reality" and the need to "be taken seriously". Characters undergo several situations in which what they say is set aside instead of being addressed. In the novel Torey says that every person in Steepleton has their own "version of reality" that "has nothing to do with what’s true" or what's not true. Following that his mother screams at him to "remain calm" instead of addressing what point Torey arose. Similar situations occur throughout the novel where the children try to address a point and the adults push it aside to avoid the reality of their once "safe world" as Torey explains.

Critics have also noted that The Body of Christopher Creed addresses the issue of the need to "blame others" when tragedy strikes. A Chris Creed Book review states that the novel has a "interesting perspective" about how "cruel" they can be to one another. When "tragedy strikes" the townspeople of Steepleton look to others to blame instead of themselves. For instance, Mrs. Creed is quick to jump to a conclusion that Bo either "murdered" or is "holding" Chris after Bo is taken into custody. Although there was no hard evidence against Bo, she still jumps to the conclusion that he was the one responsible for her son. Evidence throughout the novel proves that the townspeople of Steepleton would rather cover up their problems by blaming others within their community.