But I could not be certain about this".1.
An interesting and touching conflict in the book is between Christopher and his father, Ed. Christopher finds out that his father had lied to him about his mother, and that he had killed the dog, therefore he decides that he no longer could trust him. "I had to get out of the house. Father had murdered Wellington. That meant he could murder me, because I couldn't trust him, even he had said; Trust me, because he had told a big lie about a big thing".2 .
Christopher grows as a person throughout the story, he becomes more daring and has a bigger eager to be independent. In the beginning of the novel, Christopher can not stand social interactions, and even the slightest change or obstacle he encounters makes him shut down and ignore the rest of the world. "Then she started screaming again. I put my hands over my ears and closed my eyes and rolled forward till I was hunched up with my forehead pressed onto the grass".3 But as the novel moves on, he shows a growing desire for independence. Christopher gains the confidence to assert himself. He starts to dream about going to college and becoming an astronaut, which in both cases he would have to take care of himself. "I think I would make a very good astronaut. To be a good astronaut you have to be intelligent and I'm intelligent. You also have to understand how machines work and I'm good at understanding how machines work".4 He gradually becomes more self sufficient as well. Towards the end of the novel he is ready to be on his own. "I am going to go to university in another town. [.] And I can live in a flat with a garden and a proper toilet".5 .
One of the main themes in the book is the struggle to be independent. Just like many other teenagers at his age, Christopher wants to find his role in society. Because of his condition, he cannot always do as he pleases, and is limited when it comes to social interactions.