In the small town of Steepleton, a boy disappears. The class division of the town makes it hard for anybody really to care. However, one boy does and investigates into what has happened. The establishment of Chris Creed’s disappearance as symbol of class and society division establishes the deep mystery in the story. The reader is left with countless questions on what happened to Christopher Creed. Carol Plum- Ucci uses Chris Creed’s disappearance as a symbol to create strong mystery throughout the book. Leaving the reader questioning where Chris went. Through the duration of the story, the reader always has one question in mind. Is he alive or dead? The author purposely throws in small clues hinting to him being dead, but also reverses other …show more content…
The characters are developed socially in the story to show different levels of class, and how those levels determine the respect that person will receive. Carol Plum- Ucci specifically uses Torey and Chris as a comparison of class. Torey is your stereotypical jock. It seems he’s got everything. He’s got his group of loyal friends, has the hottest girl in the school by his side, and everyone seems to like or tolerate him. Tory's mother is a well known lawyer, so Torey has a high reputation. Chris on the other hand is socially outcast. Not many people like him and he’s beaten up on a daily basis. Everybody seems to think he’s just weird and a freak. Chris’s diary reveals to Torey that Chris thought everyone was his friend. The author shows that in a small town, there is a definite social ranking and some people are not treated with as much respect as others. The author also shows in her story that, just because one person is not respected, doesn't mean they will have an effect on another. When Torey and his friends are sitting in the basement talking about how they mistreated Chris, Torey feels guilty about his treatment. “You Know guys, maybe we could talk about it without laughing about it?” I suggested. “I think we the guy enough when he was alive. If he is dead.” (pg 32). This quote reveals about Torey that he does care and can’t help but still feel guilty about Chris’s disappearance. The