Richard Powers, Bewilderment

Martin Kich (Wright State University)

Ed. by Sofia Ahlberg, Uppsala University
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 3.2.4: American (US) Writing and Culture: Postwar and Contemporary, 1945-present.
Vol. editors: Sofia Ahlberg (Uppsala University), Patrick Chura (University of Akron), Emory Elliott (University of California, Riverside), Dale Enggass (University of Utah), Christopher Hugh Gair (University of Glasgow), Matthew Hofer (University of New Mexico), Stephen E. Meats (Pittsburg State University), Kerry Myler (Birmingham Newman University), Justin Parks (UiT - The Arctic University of Norway), Nick Selby (University of East Anglia)

Dates

First circulation or publication 2021

Places

United States (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Novel

Resources

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The main characters in this novel are Theo Byrne and his son Robin. Theo is an astrobiologist, searching for evidence of life on other planets, and Robin is a nine-year-old who has been diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum, most likely as having Asperger’s Syndrome. His condition has given Robin a heightened responsiveness to natural phenomena, but, in other settings, he is easily frustrated and expresses his frustration in angry outbursts. After he attacks a fellow student, throwing a thermos at him and breaking his cheekbone, Robin’s school demands that Theo seek appropriate treatment for Robin’s Asperger’s. But the standard treatments involve heavy doses of psychotropic medications, and Theo fears that the medications will also reduce Robin’s responsiveness to those…

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2607 words

Citation: Kich, Martin. "Bewilderment". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 10 May 2024 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=41607, accessed 27 July 2024.]

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