Crispin The Cross of Lead

Summary of the plot: A story about a young boy (Crispin) in medieval England. Starting with the death of the boy’s mother, which sets a series of political complications in motion, during which Crispin is forced to flee from the village he has known his entire life and sending him out across the countryside He is accused unjustly of stealing and murder. He encounters various layers of society, exposing them from a peasant’s view and provides how frightening life in a world defined by plagues, illiteracy, and the feudal system could be.
At the same time, though, Crispin: The Cross of Lead is a book of innocence and wonder. Not long After Crispin is forced to leave his village, he becomes friends with Bear, a traveling juggler, political agitator, and spy. Bear embraces him like a son and protects Crispin. helps him understand the society in which they live, and trains him to be a man, as his absent father never did. Crispin is followed by the feudal lord who knows that Crispin is the illegitimate son of the feudal LordFurnival. Yet Crispin does not seek this life and ultimately is able to be free. He must first free his friend Bear who was captured and then the two secure their way to a new life together
Character list: Asta—Crispin’s mother, who dies the day before the book starts.
Crispin —the main character, an outcast, orphan, and the illegitimate son of Lord Furnival.
John Aycliffe—the steward of the manor of Stromford, the village where Crispin lived.
Father Quinel—the priest at Stromford.
Roger Kinsworthy—the bailiff at Stromford.
Bear: travelling juggler and spy who befriends Cripsin and ultimately find a new life together
Lord Furnival—the lord over Stromford, absent throughout almost the entire book.
Summary/Analysis of the Characters
As the illegitimate son a a servant who is not even known by his name until his mother’s death. Crispin’s world had been so limited that every new encounter is a whirlwind of intrigue and adventure roller; some are terrible, but some are wonderful. Through a series of adventures, Bear and Crispin become essentially care for each other as father and son. As they do, they forge a new destiny and identity for Crispin, making him fearless and brave where he was frightened, inquisitive where he was passive, and free where he was essentially chained.

General Themes: Fate is an overriding theme of Crispin, and one that both Bear and Crispin battle against, is the powerful role that fate plays in human life. Bear is a conscious and willing rebel against fate. Crispin starts as a much more passive and accidental rebel, but he slowly changes to Bear’s self-assertive ways. The first way that fate affects human life in Crispin is through shaping English society: each person is born into a specific location, both geographic and social, and expects to stay there throughout his or her entire life. Through a series of adventures of intrigue, bravery and desire for truth Crispin and Bear overcome obstacles and change both their lives,
Important Symbols:
The Cross of Lead is a perfect metaphor for Crispin, plain simple , yet malleable, demonstrating the fact that Crispin just like many of the readers of the book are changing. When he leaves the cross behind, the symbolism reflects leaving his old life behind and embracing his future as Crispin, free man and apprentice to Bear
Author Information: Avi has an extensive career as an author—he has published over fifty books— Crispin: The Cross of Lead won the prestigious Newbery Award, focusing on the author himself and Avi is clearly well aware of his goals for his books.
Key Facts:
Avi’s 50th book
Newberry Award winner
Publisher: Perfection Learning (June 2004)
Language: English

Important quotes “I kept asking myself if I felt different, if I was different. The answer was always yes. I was no longer nothing…
How odd, I thought; it had taken my mother’s death, Father Quinel’s murder, and the desire of others to kill me to claim a life of my own.”
― Avi, Crispin: www.pinkmonkey.com , www.bestnotes.com , www.biography.com