The Man Without A Face By Charles Norstadt

In The Man Without a Face, we met Charles Norstadt, a troubled and misunderstood boy who crossed paths with Justin McLeod during his coming of age journey. McLeod was the town recluse and subject of many rumors. Norstadt was a troubled young boy who often distanced himself from others because of a fear of rejection, but his dream of joining the military academy led him to an unlikely friend. Chasing acceptance, he attempted to connect to Justin McLeod who was also outcast by society. Through the friendship Norstadt discovered with McLeod, he was able to achieve his goal of attending the same academy his father attended. The characterization of Charles Norstadt is key in developing the theme that injustice is often a result of misconceptions,

After constant ridicule from his half-sister, he believed he was not as intelligent as the rest of his family. Forced to see many psychiatrists, Norstadt had a doubt deep inside him as to whether or not he was actually sane. With no idea about the drunk and suicidal past of his father, Norstadt created his own fantasy about his father’s death to cope with it. His family kept the truth from him while all along thinking he was simply troubled. After spending so much time around this delusion, Norstadt became unsure of himself. The misconception of Norstadt was an injustice. He began to think of himself as a freak and a failure, but through Justin McLeod, he was able to find his true self without unfair judgement. McLeod was misunderstood like Norstadt. This similarity allowed Norstadt to connect with McLeod in a way that he had never experienced with any other adult. After he learned of his father’s past, Norstadt went to McLeod for comfort. He was afraid that he was crazy and destined to become just like his father, but McLeod gave him the comfort and assurance he needed to remind him that he was in control of his

He resented his mother because he believed that she drove his father away. This caused him to reject any attempt his mother made to connect with him. He also lied to the police chief when questioned about if he had been at McLeod’s house. This problem with authority was the main reason he distanced himself from others. Without having an adult that he felt he could talk to, Norstadt did not have anyone he could truly trust. That is why he reached out to McLeod, as way of mending the injustice of him not having an authority figure he could connect with. As McLeod began to become an authority figure, Norstadt’s relationship with other adults started to improve because he was learning to trust. This became evident when Norstadt returned home after reading Shakespeare’s “Merchant of Venice” and asked his mother about the play. Even though it was only a small gesture, it showed that Norstadt was learning to bond with