Summary

In Chapter 2, “The Boy Behind the Curtain,” although many people feel “childish joy” around Christmas, Bowen associated the season “with sadness and loneliness” (31). His childhood had created this feeling. Shortly after his birth, Bowen’s parents divorced. He and his mother moved from England to Australia. As an only child, Bowen spent most of his time alone. He was bullied at school, making him “a nervous wreck” (32). His mom was rarely home.

Talking to his father on Christmas was “the highlight” of Bowen’s holiday (33). Instead of spending the holiday with family, Bowen and his mother took expensive trips. Bowen spent these trips alone, too. During one trip, he was separated from his mother, and a steward refused to allow him back into the first class lounge. The experience was “symbolic of the way [his] life went after that” (35).

Bowen does not want...