Christy Brown's Early Life and Communication Breakthroughs

Difficult Birth and Naming

^*1. Why was the author’s birth considered a difficult one? Because both mother and son almost died.

2. Why wasn’t the author given a name immediately after his birth? Because he wasn’t baptized until his mother was well enough to take him to church.

3. When Christy was five, something happened that changed his life. What was it? He could still see and feel the whole scene as if it happened last week.

Learning to Communicate

^*1. Why did Christy’s mother start to teach him the whole alphabet? Because she was determined to help him communicate through the written word if the spoken word was impossible.

2. How did she teach him to write the alphabet? She would write down each letter on the slate with a piece of chalk. Then she would rub them out with a duster and make him write them down again from memory. He held the chalk between his toes.

3. Why was Christy reluctant to use shoes? Because he used his left foot as we use our hands, and if he wore shoes he couldn’t communicate with people.

4. Why didn’t Christy’s mother want Christy to grow up to be illiterate?

Mobility and Early Incidents

^*1. How did Christy manage to move around? He used a go-cart that was built by his father.

2. What did Christy do when Charlie and Sally were kissing each other inside the bath? He turned the tap when Charlie and Sally were kissing.

Social Interactions and Feelings

^*1. When Christy’s brothers took him out for walks, people sometimes stared at him. How did he feel about this? He didn’t worry about it because he had no idea why they stared.

2. How did Christy feel when his go-cart broke down? He was lost without it because he wouldn’t go to play with his brothers.

Overcoming Depression

^*1. When Christy saw mirrors, how did he feel? He hated and feared mirrors because his body was so queer.

2. How did he overcome his depression? He overcame his depression with a box of paints from Santa Claus. He discovered a new way to communicate with the outside world by painting with his left foot.

3. Who was Katriona Delahunt? Katriona helped him attain a securer balance within himself; she was a student social worker at the Rotunda Hospital.

4. Why did Katriona come to visit Christy? She came to visit Christy because she wanted to know him.

Special Connection

^*1. According to Christy, there was something special about Katriona Delahunt. What was it? She was his dream girl, who made him feel important because she liked the way he painted.