Reading Response
Henry Kiem
812
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin is a magnificent classic. It is a highly inventive mystery that requires so much brainpower to comprehend, you can't help but read the book for hours on end. I love The Westing Game and this is the third or fourth time I am reading it. The characters are so amazing and the way that the author introduces them is so intriguing. I think that the major theme of this mystery is to explore information and how certain people interpret it. Throughout the book certain facts confuse people and others assume certain things that are entirely untrue. Throughout the book, people misinterpret information.
The first reason that I think this book's theme is the ideas of misinterpretation and confusion is because of a certain chapter. In chapter four, "A Corpse Found", Turtle sneaks into the westing house and Doug Hoo times her. After possibly hearing her name, she runs out of the house screaming. Then, the next day, the newspaper pronounces Sam Westing dead. But Doug and Turtle are very confused because they have no idea how the body was found. Ellen Raskin creates so many possible story lines that you have no idea what is about to happen next which is key to a mystery novel. In the case of chapter four, evidence that Turtle was in the house could be found which could lead to an accusation of murder. This book has so many possible stories going on and that is what makes it so interesting. That is why I think the theme of this book is how misinterpretation can affect people and how confusion is creating such an interesting story.
The second reason I think the theme of this book is misinterpretation is in chapter 7, "The Westing Will". In this chapter the Will of Samuel Westing is read to his 16 nieces. The will says that one of the sixteen took Samuel Westing's life. The will then tells them to "play the westing game" after a silent prayer. The Will is broken up into sections. FIRST, SECOND, and so on. This could be a code or a clue to what is really going on here. The fact that the will is telling people to do things as if it is in the present company of them also could be another clue as to who is who. You really don't know with this book!
Finally, I definitely think the theme of this book is all about misinterpretation. I mean, the amount of confusion and misleading facts in this book is magnificent. I also think that this book is so great because it leaves even you assuming things along with the character. And by the end, when you find out what really happened, you think, how can that be! But after the explanation, it all makes sense.
I really agree with your point here. I myself have read The Westing Game 4-5 times. It took a couple times reading it to really understand whats going on. In the book I think that misconception is key to the plot. Like in the scenes you mentioned, and even at other times like when Turtle in accused of being the bomber when it really was Angela. Also, almost all of the characters turn out to be something you never would have expected which is why it's so intriguing. I think you did a really good job explaining you point.
ReplyDeletei like how you were able to expand on your thought of what your opinion on things in this book B-D
ReplyDeleteI rally loved this book, and it's nice to see someone else's point of view of the book and I agree with you on how the theme is the book is supposed to be misleading.
ReplyDeleteit was very interesting
ReplyDeleteI read this book a long time ago and found it very fascinating. If I remember correctly, another piece of evidence for your idea was when someone screamed someone's name. The yell was misinterpreted for saying, "There's a bomb!" instead of a name. That was a funny scene.
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