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I No Longer See You
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in A Monster Calls, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Death, Denial, and Acceptance
Storytelling
Isolation
Family and Growing Up
Summary
Analysis
The monster begins a tale about an invisible man as Conor starts to walk after Harry. The monster narrates: “it was not that he was actually invisible. It was that people had become used to not seeing him.” Conor calls after Harry, Sully, and Anton, but they don’t turn around. The monster then asks Conor, “if no one sees you, are you really there at all?”
The third tale that the monster tells is most directly related to Conor’s life: Conor is an invisible man whom people have become used to not seeing. Conor essentially enacts the story as the monster tells it, reinforcing his connection to the character.
Themes
Conor calls Harry again. The cafeteria falls silent. Conor grabs Harry and twists him around. Harry pretends not to see Conor. The monster continues, saying that one day the invisible man decided to make other people see him. Conor asks how, breathing heavily in fury. The monster says, “He called for a monster.”
Harry’s bullying is heartbreaking as he plays cruel psychological games with Conor. All Conor wants is to regain the connection and support from his peers that he has lost.
Themes
The monster reaches its hand past Conor and knocks Harry across the floor. Harry gets up, his head bleeding, and shouts that no one sees Conor. Conor can feel the room watching him, but when Conor faces the students, they avert their eyes.
Conor is so desperate to end his feelings of isolation that he resorts to violence, even though he is normally a very gentle boy.
Themes
Harry taunts Conor, saying that everyone is sorry for him because of his mother, that Conor acts like no one understands his suffering, and that Conor wants to be punished. Harry wonders why Conor feels like he needs to be punished so badly. But, Harry continues, when he looks at Conor, he sees nothing. Conor asks the monster what it did to help the invisible man. The monster says that it made others see. The monster then leaps forward at Harry.
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