Crispin's life has been one long abandonment extravaganza, going back to before he was even born when Lord Furnival abandoned his pregnant mother Stromford. The first few chapters of Crispin: The Cross of Lead record one loss after another. And because Crispin believes God makes everything happen, his string of losses combined with Aycliffe's attacks on him make Crispin feel like God isn't protecting him—so he even feels abandoned by God. Bummer.
Initial parental abandonment by Lord Furnival is the force that shapes Crispin's life, until Bear's adoption of him reverses this trend and the two of them build a relationship based on mutual trust. Finally, the healing can begin.
Questions About Abandonment
- Why do you think Lord Furnival chose to force Asta and Crispin to remain at Stromford rather than simply shrugging off their existence?
- Does Bear also feel a sense of abandonment that gives him empathy for Crispin? Prove your answer by turning to the book.
- Do you think Crispin's fear that God has abandoned him changes by the end of the book? Why or why not?
- Why does Crispin decide not to leave Bear imprisoned and just save himself? Give evidence from the text, please.
Chew on This
Every action Crispin takes is motivated by his sense of being alone in the world.
Crispin's initial mistrust of Bear is based on the fact that everyone else has let him down.