Friday, June 28, 2013

What are the main settings, and how do they contribute to the conflicts in the novel, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman?

In Neil Gaiman's The Graveyeard Book,
the primary setting of the story is the graveyard, where Bod ("Nobody") is raised after
the murder of his family, and his unexpected
escape.


Within the graveyard, there are places where Bod
should not go: for instance, he enters the world of the ghouls and has to be saved by
Miss Lupescu before the frightful creatures take his memory...and/or eat him. This
worries his protector at the time, and Miss Lupescu faces dangers of her own in saving
Bod.


When Bod visits the Indigo man, he meets an ancient
race called the Sleer, who are dedicated to protecting the treasures within for their
Master. While he goes where he should not, and the visit is at first fearsome, it will
later help him, as will his experience with the ghouls. (It causes a great
deal
of concern on the part of Scarlet's parents—she is Bod's friend; with
this incident the parents are sure Scarlet has been
kidnapped).


Falling from a tree into unconsecrated ground,
Bod meets a witch. While there is concern that she might be dangerous for Bod (on the
part of members of the graveyard community), Liza Hempstock ends up helping Bod several
times.


The most dangerous setting in the novel is outside
of the graveyard—this causes Bod the most immediate, long-standing threat. At one point
in order to make money, Bod tries to sell the Sleer's treasure. One man in a pawn shop
knows the murderer of Bod's family—a man trying to find a missing boy about Bod's age,
and almost captures Bod long enough to contact the murderer. While Bod escapes with
Liza's help, it is clear that someone is still trying to kill
him.


When Scarlet reappears and they go outside to visit
Mr. Frost—who seems to have news of Bod's family—Frost turns out to be "Jack," the
murderer who is trying to find him and "finish the job." By leaving the graveyard, Jack
knows Bod is alive, he and his "cohorts" follow Scarlet and Bod back to the graveyard,
and there is danger not only for Bod, but also for Scarlet who Jack also
threatens.


These are the major scenes within the novel,
each one bringing one kind of conflict with it or another.

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