A complete summary of The Children Act. Contains: | character list | general information: author, release date, type of book, tone, mood, atmosphere, genre, narrrator, pov, tense, background information, setting, theme, symbols, title explanation, etc. | important concepts from the book | important...
Characters
• Fiona Maye - She is the main protagonist. She is 59 years old. She's a High Court judge in the
Family Devision and lives in an apartment in London, at Grey’s Inn Square. Fiona is good at
playing the piano, especially classical music. She struggles with playing jazz though. She’s
considered to be one of Britain’s best High Court judges. Fiona has been married to her
husband Jack for over 30 years. Even though they have lots of arguments, she still loves him.
Fiona usually takes sleeping pills before going to bed. Fiona and Jack have no children,
primarily because Fiona was too focussed on her career and because she had developed a
horror of the body after the siamese twin-case.
• Jack Maye - He is the husband of Fiona. He is 60 years old. He plays tennis and lifts weights.
He's unhappy due to the fact that he and Fiona aren't having sex often. He and Fiona lack
intimacy in their marriage. He wants to compensate that by having an a air with Melanie, giving
him a new sex-life. Even though he wants an a air with Melanie, he still loves Fiona. His birthday
is in April. Jack is a Geology professor (University lecturer).
• Melanie - The woman Jack wants to have an a air with. She lives somewhere near Muswell Hill.
She’s a 28 year old statistician. Melanie can be seen as Jack’s object of lust.
• Judith Bernstein - The mother of Rachel and Nora Bernstein. She wants them to grow up in a
free environment, to not be condemned to having to grow up in a strict Jewish environment. Her
husband Julian disagrees. Fiona had a case on this matter.
• Julian Bernstein - The father of Rachel and Nora Bernstein. He wants them to grow up in a
orthodox Jewish environment, which is what his wife doesn't want.
• Rachel Bernstein - Judith and Julian Bernstein's rst child.
• Nora Bernstein - Judith and Julian Bernstein's second child.
• Mark - One of the two conjoined (siamese) twins on which Fiona had a case. Mark was thin,
because he did all the work. His life expectancy was higher than Matthew's, and Fiona had to
decide whether or not to separate the two twins to give Mark a new life, killing Matthew in the
process. Fiona decided that the surgery should happen, and it did. The surgery was successful
for Mark, but it killed Matthew.
• Matthew - One of the conjoined (siamese) twins on which Fiona has a case. He was fat,
because Mark did all the physical activities. After the surgery to remove Mark and Matthew from
each other, Matthew died.
• Nigel Pauling - Fiona's law clerk, informing her about new cases she'll receive.
• Adam Henry - Adam is a seventeen year old boy with cancer. Adam’s parents are Jehovah's
Witnesses, named Kevin and Naomi Henry. Adam su ers from a rare form of leukaemia. After he
had been taken into the Edith Cavell hospital in Wandsworth for medicine, the doctors decided
investigate Adam’s leukaemia, and they decided that it was best for him to receive a blood
transfusion. Fiona Maye had to make the judgement about whether or not he should get a blood
transfusion, which his parents and him didn't want him to have at rst. Adam plays the violin
and writes poetry. Adam is a Jehovah’s Witness, just like his parents. At the hospital, every
nurse thinks Adam is a handsome and joyous boy.
• Kevin Henry - Adam’s father. He owns a earthmoving company. He had a struggle with alcohol
and his marriage, until he was converted by Jehovah’s Witnesses.
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, • Naomi Henry - Adam’s mother.
• Mr Justice Sherwood Runcie - A colleague of Fiona. He’s (just like Fiona) also a judge at the
High Court. Fiona thinks he’s charming, but she tries to avoid him because he’d released a
terrible judgement on a past case. Most of Fiona’s colleagues liked Mr Justice Sherwood Runcie
though.
• Mark Berner - Max Berner is a barrister (lawyer) for the hospital in the “Adam Henry”-case. He
peaks for the hospital, who wants to give Adam the blood transfusion. He’s a friend and
colleague of Fiona.
• Marina Greene - A social worker who was assigned to support and guide Adam Henry in his
case.
• Rodney Carter - The doctor who describes all medical information about Adam’s case in the
court. He is in favour of the blood transfusion.
• John Tolvey - Adam’s barrister (lawyer) in his case.
• Leslie Grieve - Kevin and Naomi Henry’s barrister (lawyer). She’s a colleague of Fiona. During
the Adam-case, she uses the “Family Law Reform Act of 1969” to defend her case.
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