Summary of Bewilderment E-Book

Alexander Cooper

• Herausgeber: Ben Business Group LLC
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

Summary of Bewilderment

The narrator, Theo Byrne, and his 9-year-old son, Robin ("Robbie"), are stargazing with a telescope in the woods, looking out at the Andromeda galaxy. Robbie is perplexed as to why we are the only ones we are aware of in the universe (the Fermi Paradox).
Robin has been excused from school for the week, and they are staying in a cabin in the Smoky Mountains. Robin requests to sleep outside, so they set up camp under the stars that night. The narrator recalls his late wife, Alyssa ("Aly"), who died when Robin was seven years old. Chester, Robin's dog, died a few months later.
Robin has been diagnosed with various conditions by various doctors — autism, OCD, ADHD, other syndromes, and so on — but none of them agree with Theo. Instead, he believes that "life is something we must stop correcting" and that Robin is "a pocket universe I could never hope to comprehend." Theo also claims that the series of deaths Robin endured was most likely the "reason for disturbed behavior" on his part.
Various doctors have diagnosed Robin with autism, OCD, ADHD, various syndromes, and so on, but none of them agree with Theo. He believes that "life is something we must stop correcting" and that Robin is "a pocket universe I could never hope to comprehend." Theo also claims that Robin's string of deaths was most likely the "cause of disturbed behavior" on his part.

Here is a Preview of What You Will Get:
⁃    A Detailed Introduction 
⁃    A Comprehensive Chapter by Chapter Summary
⁃    Etc

Get a copy of this summary and learn about the book. 

Leseprobe

SUMMARY

Bewilderment

Book by

Richard Powers

Alexander Cooper

Ben Business Group LLC© Copyright 2022 - Present. All rights reserved. This document is geared towards providing reliable information in regards to the topic and issue covered. The publication is sold with the idea that the publisher is not required to render accounting, officially permitted, or otherwise, qualified services. If advice is necessary, legal, or professional, a practiced individual in the profession shall be ordered.

- From a Declaration of Principles which was accepted and approved equally by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations.

In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.

The information provided herein is stated to be truthful and consistent, in that any liability, in terms of inattention or otherwise, by any usage or abuse of any policies, processes, or directions contained within is solely and completely the responsibility of the recipient reader. Under no circumstances will any legal responsibility or blame be held against the publisher for any reparation, damages, or monetary loss due to the information herein, either directly or indirectly.

Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1: Smoky Mountains Trip

CHAPTER 2: Background Information

CHAPTER 3: Return from the Trip and the Metal Thermos

CHAPTER 4: Beginning the Endangered Animals Project

CHAPTER 5: The Currier Lab and Decoded Neurofeedback

CHAPTER 6: Inga Alder, the Farmers’ Market and Protesting at the Capitol

CHAPTER 7: Depression and Aly’s Brain Print

CHAPTER 8: A New Robin, Homeschooling and Training Videos

CHAPTER 9: Ova Nova and the COG Talk

CHAPTER 10: Trip to Washington D.C.

CHAPTER 11: HHS Investigation and DHS Involvement

Section 12: Back to the Smokies

Conclusion

INTRODUCTION

The narrator, Theo Byrne, and his 9-year-old son, Robin ("Robbie"), are stargazing with a telescope in the woods, looking out at the Andromeda galaxy. Robbie is perplexed as to why we are the only ones we are aware of in the universe (the Fermi Paradox).

Robin has been excused from school for the week, and they are staying in a cabin in the Smoky Mountains. Robin requests to sleep outside, so they set up camp under the stars that night. The narrator recalls his late wife, Alyssa ("Aly"), who died when Robin was seven years old. Chester, Robin's dog, died a few months later.

Robin has been diagnosed with various conditions by various doctors — autism, OCD, ADHD, other syndromes, and so on — but none of them agree with Theo. Instead, he believes that "life is something we must stop correcting" and that Robin is "a pocket universe I could never hope to comprehend." Theo also claims that the series of deaths Robin endured was most likely the "reason for disturbed behavior" on his part.

Various doctors have diagnosed Robin with autism, OCD, ADHD, various syndromes, and so on, but none of them agree with Theo. He believes that "life is something we must stop correcting" and that Robin is "a pocket universe I could never hope to comprehend." Theo also claims that Robin's string of deaths was most likely the "cause of disturbed behavior" on his part.

Robin's birthday is the following day. Theo pulls out the digital microscope that Robin had requested. Then, when Theo brings out a cake, Robin rejects it because it isn't vegan, despite the fact that Alyssa was vegan. Theo tells him that Alyssa occasionally made exceptions, and Robin reluctantly eats a little.

Robin then requests that his father retell the story of how he got his name, which he has heard many times before. Theo describes going birding with Alyssa and getting excited about seeing something that turned out to be just a robin. Alyssa then claimed that the robin was her favorite bird, but it was later revealed that her true favorite was any bird she happened to see at the time. Nonetheless, the robin became a special bird for the two of them. Robin, on the other hand, claims that kids at school make fun of his name.

That night, Theo creates a new planet, Dvau, which he explains is uninhabitable because it lacks a moon to stabilize it.

They go hiking in the woods the next day. When Robin comes dangerously close to stepping on a yellow millipede, it emits a trace amount of almond-scented cyanide, which reminds him of his mother's baking. Theo does not inform him that the substance is cyanide. They camped in a clearing near a stream at night. As they walk into the stream, Theo looks sad, and Robin deduces (correctly) that he was once here on their honeymoon with Alyssa. When it's getting dark, Robin recalls Alyssa reading poetry to Chester. Tonight, Robin brings up the possibility of getting another dog, but Theo is still opposed.

They recite Alyssa's prayer before going to bed: "There are four good things worth practicing. Being gentle with all living things. Maintaining a steady and level posture. Feeling happy for any happy creature, anywhere. And remembering that any pain you experience is also yours." While the prayer is conceptually derived from Buddhism (the Four Immeasurables), Alyssa, according to Theo, "was her own religion."

Robin then inquires about Theo's job. Theo is a university student who writes programs to predict the gases in planets' atmospheres. When Theo falls asleep, Robin awakens him with his solution to the Fermi paradox (a reason why, given the vastness of space and the universe, "there seemed to be no one out there"). Robin theorizes that they may exist, but they are lithotrophs that live in rocks (so we don't see them) and transmit messages that are too fast or too slow for us to interpret.

As he sleeps, Theo worries about Robin being in a school he despises with students who don't understand him and acting "otherworldly." Theo also wonders what parenting mistakes he is making now that he will not realize for many years. He recalls how Robin only told him about his nightmares from reading The Velveteen Rabbit two years later.

Theo then considers another possible solution to the Fermi paradox. Other creatures may have evolved, met, and become so advanced that they mastered time and space. Perhaps our universe is merely a "sealed-off" zoo-like terrarium for their amusement. He doesn't dare to tell Robin about this theory, however, for fear of causing nightmares. He knows Robin already dislikes the idea of zoos (keeping animals confined), and he recalls how Robin had spent two days worrying about the Fermi paradox once he became aware of it. He wishes Alyssa was here to advise him on what to do about Robin.

That night, it pours, and they get soaked because they forgot to put the tent's fly (covering) on. The following day, they pack up camp and begin driving back to the cabin.

People are slowing down to see a mother bear and her three cubs near the road, which is causing traffic. When Robin sees them, he is upset because he believes they don't want to be stared at like a "star in a freak show." He also believes that everyone is a "jerk-face" and that "we stole everything from them." Robin becomes agitated, but Theo calms him down. Humans, he claims, are lonely and desperate to see something "smart and wild."

Back at the cabin, Theo imagines the planet Falasha and describes the atmosphere and oceans of the planet. They return to the city early the next morning. As they catch up on all the bad news they missed while on vacation, Robin insists on listening because "it's good citizenship."

On the way back, they pass by the Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter, and Theo reflects on the counties they passed through that "had little use for science of any kind." He begins listening to an audiobook of Flowers for Algernon, one of his first science fiction books. Robin is captivated by the story, but he is disturbed by the mouse's death.

When they return, Theo goes straight to the office. Carl Stryker, Theo's colleague and co-author of a paper he's working on, criticizes him for falling behind on his part of the paper. Stryker understands that Theo's responsibilities as a parent are what are holding him back, and he has little patience for it because he is concerned that others will publish similar research first, jeopardizing their funding.

CHAPTER 1: Smoky Mountains Trip

“But we might never find them…”

The storyteller, Theo Byrne, and his 9-year-old child, Robin ("Robbie"), are out stargazing in the forest with a telescope, watching the Andromeda universe. Robbie asks why we're the ones in particular that we are aware of in the universe (the Fermi Paradox).

Theo has removed Robin from school for the week, and they're staying in a lodge in the Smoky Mountains. Robin requests to sleep outside, so that evening they make camp outside under the stars. The storyteller contemplates his late spouse, Alyssa ("Aly"), who died when Robin was 7. Robin's dog Chester passed on a couple of months after that.

Robin has been diagnosed in different ways by different specialists — mental imbalance, OCD, ADHD, different syndromes, and so on — however, Theo disagrees with any of them. All things considered, he feels that "life is something we want to quit revising" and that Robin is "a pocket universe I would never expect to comprehend.” Theo likewise believes that the blend of deaths Robin experienced is logical and the "justification behind upset conduct" on his part.