In The Body of Christopher Creed, the theme of respect and reputation boils down to one nasty habit: gossip. Rumors swirl in Steepleton, and with little regard to the truth, people's reputations—and the amount of respect they receive—hinges on what's being said about them behind their backs. It's a vicious little world to live in.
But it isn't all bad news when it comes to gossip; after all, Torey gets so fed up with gossip that he opts to ditch his popular friends for good in favor of the kinder, non-gossiping outcasts. His distaste for gossip also sparks his interest in the truth, which sends him on his quest to get to the bottom of Chris's disappearance. So gossip isn't all bad… just, you know, mostly.
Questions About Respect and Reputation
- Is anyone's reputation not affected by gossip in this book?
- Is gossiping a way of commanding respect for Renee?
- What is so bad about the kind of gossip Torey's friends make? What bothers Torey most about it?
- How does gossip help create Torey's problem? How does it complicate Ali's? How about Bo's?
- How does gossip affect Chris Creed's life? Does it contribute to his disappearance? How does it affect his family?
Chew on This
Creed.doc is the biggest piece of gossip in the entire book; it just never gets called gossip because Torey's the one who writes it, and he believes what he's written.
Gossip is the ultimate lie as far as Torey's concerned.