Bewilderment

While Theo is the narrator of Bewilderment, his son Robin is the central character. Robin is a young boy who has Asperger syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In the narrative, he deals with school and the death of his mother. These events dictate the course of Theo’s life, as Robin tries to fit in at school but finds social interaction difficult. When he tries to integrate into social groups, his emotional outbursts can be angry and violent. Theo tries to mitigate Robin’s behavioral traits by indulging him with the memory of his mother. They visit Alyssa’s favorite places and watch videos of her together. Robin may be isolated from the world at large, but his struggling father and departed mother anchor him.

Robin receives experimental treatment from Dr. Currier. In this treatment, he learns to use a machine to align his emotional state with a preserved scan of his mother’s emotions. This treatment removes many of Robin’s social issues but changes his personality. Theo hardly recognizes the confident and personable young boy who was once so shy and awkward. Robin’s character development tracks with his growing activism. As he becomes more aware of the world around him and his place in it, he feels compelled to try to save the environment. Although his skills, his resources, and his status limit his plans, he’s determined to succeed—to make a meaningful change in the world—just as Theo is determined to be a good father. Like Theo, Robin succeeds without really knowing why. His sincerity and his unique perspective on the world teach others to find value in the beauty and wonder of nature.

When Robin loses access to the memory of his mother, his personality begins to revert. He experiences angry outbursts and awkwardness again. This time, however, Robin feels worse. He has experienced a different personality and doesn’t want to lose it. Robin fights to preserve the changes to his personality but can’t overpower his own brain. Theo and Robin return to the camping site they love, and Robin dies while trying to repair a local ecosystem. Like his mother, Robin dies because he loves the natural world too much. Society never quite understands him, but his unique perspective leaves a meaningful impact on other people.

Alyssa Byrne is only a memory even at the beginning of Bewilderment. She died in a car crash after swerving to avoid an opossum, leaving behind her husband, Theo, and her son, Robin. A dedicated animal rights lobbyist and lawyer, Alyssa fought hard on legislation to protect the natural world. While she believed in the importance and sanctity of nature, others disagreed. She found herself fighting against politicians, big businesses, and the general indifference of society. Despite this, her passion never faded. Alyssa’s passion, her politics, and her role as a mother and wife form a real, tangible legacy. People remember Alyssa and her achievements even though she’s no longer alive.

In addition to the real version of Alyssa, a lingering, metaphysical version of her lives on through the other characters. Theo turns to the memory of Alyssa whenever he needs guidance in raising their child. Robin watches videos of his mother and mimics her politics, eventually using a computerized scan of her emotional state to bond with a digital memory of Alyssa’s. These abstracted versions of Alyssa—made of memories, videos, and scans—give her a presence in the novel, and she profoundly influences the narrative. She never truly left Theo, Robin, or even Currier (with whom she may have had an affair). The real, tangible version of Alyssa collides with the more abstracted, ethereal idea of her that remains in the minds of those who loved her most. Alyssa’s character in the novel combines the real and the unreal, creating a ghostly presence that never dies.