Ed's Confession

The final scene of Part One sees Ed attempt to explain his behaviour to his son. However, Christopher, shell-shocked and terrified of his father, resolves to run away to London to find his mother.

Monologue form

Ed’s confession is in the form of a long monologue in which he attempts to tell the truth about “everything”.
He confesses to killing Wellington after a bitter argument with Mrs Shears, who he had turned to after his wife had left him.

Christopher's lack of trust

Christopher’s silence throughout Ed’s monologue reveals his lack of trust in his father.
He also “ignores” Ed’s attempt to touch fingers.
After a spell of groaning and counting in an attempt to calm himself down, he decides to find his mother in London.

Voicing Christopher's thoughts

Stephens uses the actors playing Siobhan, Uncle Terry, Mrs Alexander and Judy to voice Christopher’s thoughts as he works out the practicalities of how he can run away.
This dramatic device will be used extensively in Part Two as Christopher travels to London.

Judy's address

Part One ends with Judy’s address repeated four times, telling the audience where Christopher intends to end up in Part Two.

1Introduction & Context

1.1Novel & Play

1.1.1Mark Haddon's Novel (2003)

1.1.2Simon Stephens' Adaptions (2012)

1.2Christopher's Autism

1.2.1Christopher's Autism

1.2.2End of Topic Test - Introduction & Context

2Form, Structure & Language

2.1Dramatic Devices

2.1.1Writing About the Text as a Playscript

2.1.2Dramatic Devices

2.2Genre & Structure

2.2.1Genre

2.2.2Structure

2.3Language

2.3.1Language

2.3.2End of Topic Test - Form, Structure & Language

3Text Summary & Analysis

3.1Part One

3.1.1Discovering the Dead Dog & Christopher's Autism

3.1.2The Policeman & Siobhan

3.1.3The Police Station & Ed's Entry

3.1.4Mother's Death & Beginning the Investigation

3.1.5Ed's Frustrations & Revisiting Mrs Alexander

3.1.6Remembering Judy & "Fight" Scene

3.1.7Judy's Letters

3.1.8Ed's Confession

3.1.9End of Topic Test - Part One

3.1.10End of Topic Test - Part One 2

3.2Part Two

3.2.1Preparing to Run Away & Train Station

3.2.2On the Train & Arriving in London

3.2.3On the Tube & Arriving at Judy's House

3.2.4Policeman, Ed Visits & Tensions

3.2.5Back in Swindon & New Beginnings

3.2.6The End & Maths Appendix

3.2.7End of Topic Test - Part Two

3.2.8End of Topic Test - Part Two cont....

4Themes

4.1Themes

4.1.1Independence

4.1.2Parenting

4.1.3Order & Disorder

4.1.4End of Topic Test - Themes

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