Davis Cockrell

Anansi Boys Reflection 4(Chapters 7-8)

R. Andrew Brown
UWRT 1103-011
24 October, 2016
In the chapters seven and eight, in Anansi Boys, the reader attains a much better
understanding about where the book is headed. Through the first six chapters the reader had a
tough time understanding whether Spider was a figure of Charlie's imagination, or if in fact he
was actually a God with special powers. Although Spider could still be part of Charlie's
imagination, as the book progresses it is highly unlikely. During these two chapters Charlie
decides he has had enough of Spider and his mind control tricks and wants him to leave. Spider
however has fallen in love with Rosie and has absolutely no intentions of leaving any time soon.
Charlie concocts a plan in which he returns back to Florida, to meet with Mrs. Higgler, who first
introduced Charlie to the idea that he had a brother and how to get in touch. Once in Florida
Charlie is shown that the only way to get rid of his brother is if he participates in a very odd and
peculiar ceremony where he travels to an unknown land, which is described as a land of the
Gods. Many refused to help and shunned Charlie due to the history of his father and how cruel
he was to everyone, until he came in touch with a bird lady. Once making contact with her the
book progresses back to England in which quite a few odd instances occur. The first instance is
Grahame Coats committing a murder with a hammer in his office. Not much else is described
about the murder but this could be a turning point in the book. Also, the bird lady comes in
contact with Spider, disguised as Rosie and takes him out for coffee. While out for coffee she
attacks Spider with her power of releasing birds and then is promptly hit in the head by a pot of
coffee and disappears.

After reading chapters seven and eight of Neil Gaiman's text I believe that the book is
going to start to make more sense and all the pieces will begin to fall in place. After reading the
first six chapters the reader did not have a full understanding about where the book was headed
and how everything ties together, and still does not. But specifically in chapter eight a few signs
occurred representing a change of direction. These signs being two violent actions within the
same chapter where the previous seven did not have any. These being a murder by Grahame
Coats along with an attack on Spider by Charlies associate, the bird lady. I am thoroughly
interested to see where these actions will take the book in the following chapters and whether or
not Spider actually leaves because of the bird lady, or if an all out war happens.