Christopher Forrester

Christopher Forrester is one of the main characters of the novel. At the start of the novel, Christopher lives with his father in London, England. When his father goes away for work, Christopher travels “from his flat in North London to Scotland” to stay with his grandfather Frank Aureate (4). Christopher’s mother Charlotte died when Christopher was young and he lives a quiet, insular life. From a young age, Christopher has had an affinity for animals. He feels “that the attention and love of animals” is unique to him but learns “to hide it” because it bothers his father and inspires his classmates’ scorn (5). Christopher is therefore an outsider whose peculiarities set him apart from other people his age. However, when Christopher meets Mal Arvorian, he discovers a true friend and realizes that his idiosyncrasies are in fact a gift.

Over the course of the novel, Christopher...