Christopher in New From Here: Character Analysis
Overview
Christopher is Knox's first real friend at his new school in El Tercera, California. He appears in Mrs. Turner's classroom in room 16, where he invites Knox to sit beside him on his first day. Christopher has ADHD and takes daily medication, a fact that becomes central to his friendship with Knox, who suspects he shares the condition. His family owns Uncle Chang's Sichuan Garden, a three-generation restaurant that struggles as pandemic fears drive away customers. Christopher is defined by his generosity, his resilience in the face of bullying, and his willingness to share what he has—whether that's a doctor's number, a hand-sanitizer recipe, or a seat at his table.
Plot Role
Christopher serves as Knox's anchor in an unfamiliar world. He's the first person to make Knox feel welcome, writing things Knox doesn't understand on Post-it notes so he won't forget (Ch 25). When other kids play a cruel game called coronavirus tag and target Christopher, Knox defends him by declaring himself it and revealing he's from Hong Kong (Ch 25). This moment cements their friendship and sets up the novel's exploration of anti-Asian racism and xenophobia.
Christopher also functions as a mirror for Knox's ADHD journey. When Knox reveals he suspects he has ADHD, Christopher describes the symptoms—blurting things out, touching things you're not supposed to, feeling like you're always in trouble—and Knox recognizes himself immediately (Ch 28). Christopher's refusal to share his medication, paired with his offer to share his doctor's number, models responsible self-advocacy.
Beyond the classroom, Christopher's family restaurant becomes a site where the novel's themes of financial insecurity and immigrant resilience play out. The restaurant's decline mirrors the family's own financial struggles, and Knox's efforts to promote it through Nextdoor and delivery ideas become a way for the boys to fight back against both the virus and the prejudice it unleashed.
Motivations and Traits
Christopher is motivated by a desire to help others, even when he has little himself. He writes Post-it notes for Knox (Ch 25). He offers to share his doctor's number when Knox reveals his family lacks health insurance (Ch 28). He suggests making hand sanitizer from rubbing alcohol, aloe vera, and peppermint oil when Knox mentions shortages (Ch 65). He gives Knox the number of his family's supplier, Matthew Madison (Ch 65).
Christopher is also honest about his limitations. He admits he can't drive (Ch 44). He shares that his family can't afford Uber Eats' 30% delivery fee (Ch 44). He tells Knox his house is the size of an Altoids tin and that he shares a room with his grandma (Ch 65). This honesty makes him a trustworthy friend and contrasts with the secrecy Knox's own family maintains about their financial troubles.
His resilience is evident in how he handles bullying. When kids play coronavirus tag and run from him, he kneels down and curls into a ball on the ground (Ch 25). But he doesn't retaliate or become bitter. He thanks Knox for defending him (Ch 28) and continues to be kind.
Chronological Arc
Christopher's arc moves from being a passive target of bullying to becoming an active problem-solver alongside Knox.
Early days (Ch 25–28): Christopher is the victim of coronavirus tag on the playground. He refuses to play, curls into a ball, and is rescued by Knox's intervention. He later thanks Knox and reveals his family's restaurant is losing customers because people fear the virus (Ch 28).
Building friendship (Ch 31–44): Christopher welcomes Knox's family to the restaurant. He helps Knox with a math problem by drawing take-out containers (Ch 38). He reports that his family signed up for Uber Eats but the fees are too high (Ch 44).
Collaboration (Ch 55–68): Christopher and Knox work together to promote the restaurant. Knox volunteers to be Christopher's online publicist on Nextdoor (Ch 55). They make purple glitter hand sanitizer together for Mrs. Turner (Ch 68). Christopher suggests moving desks apart, modeling what his parents did at the restaurant (Ch 68).
Resolution (Ch 92): Christopher's dad gives Knox's family a huge bag of takeout to thank them for delivering food. Christopher also gives them toilet paper (Ch 92). The restaurant has found new customers through the boys' efforts.
Relationships
Knox: The central relationship of Christopher's story. They meet on Knox's first day, bond over ADHD, and become each other's most trusted ally. Christopher is the first person Knox tells about his ADHD suspicions, and Christopher's confirmation—he laughs and says congratulations (Ch 28)—is both thrilling and terrifying for Knox. Their friendship is mutual: Knox defends Christopher from bullies, and Christopher supports Knox through his family's struggles. Knox reflects that he finally has a friend who gets it (Ch 28).
His parents: Christopher helps at the restaurant, though his mother won't let him in the kitchen because he runs around too much (Ch 31). He once broke twenty-five jars of soy sauce (Ch 31). His parents' struggle to keep the restaurant open is Christopher's primary worry, and he shares this burden with Knox.
Tyler: The class bully who targets Christopher with coronavirus tag and teases him about his ADHD (Ch 28). Christopher tells Knox that Tyler teases him about ADHD too (Ch 28).
Key Decisions and Consequences
Christopher's refusal to give Knox an ADHD pill (Ch 28) is a key decision. He explains that his doctor says he can't give them away because they don't work the same for everyone. Instead, he offers his doctor's number. This decision models responsible behavior and deepens Knox's trust in him.
His family's decision to sign up for Uber Eats (Ch 44) shows their willingness to adapt, even though the 30% fee is nearly prohibitive. This leads to Knox's suggestion that they deliver themselves, which Christopher can't do because he can't drive. The conversation opens the door for Knox to become the restaurant's online publicist (Ch 55).
Christopher's suggestion to move desks apart in the classroom (Ch 68) is a practical, community-minded decision that mirrors what his parents did at the restaurant. It shows his ability to translate family experience into school solutions.
Theme and Symbol Connections
Christopher embodies the novel's themes of anti-Asian racism and xenophobia. He's the target of coronavirus tag (Ch 25), and his family's restaurant loses customers because people fear the virus (Ch 28). The take-out customer who refuses handmade pancakes because he'd feel more comfortable ordering pizza (Ch 31) and the Nextdoor commenter who blames Chinese food (Ch 68) are direct expressions of the prejudice Christopher and his family face.
Christopher also connects to the theme of ADHD and neurodiversity as a strength. His description of ADHD symptoms helps Knox recognize himself (Ch 28). His hyper-focusing during video games (Ch 44) is presented as a positive trait. His practical suggestions—Post-it notes, moving desks—show how ADHD-friendly strategies benefit everyone.
The restaurant itself is a symbol of immigrant resilience. It's been in Christopher's family for three generations (Ch 31). Its decline during the pandemic mirrors the financial insecurity Knox's own family faces. Its recovery, aided by Knox's promotion efforts, represents the power of community support and connects to the theme of love as a vaccine against hate.
Questions and Answers
1. Why does Christopher refuse to give Knox his ADHD medication?
Christopher explains that his doctor says he can't give the pills away because they don't work the same for everyone (Ch 28). Instead of sharing the medication, he offers to share his doctor's number so Knox can get his own prescription.
2. How does Christopher's family restaurant connect to the novel's themes?
Uncle Chang's Sichuan Garden has been in Christopher's family for three generations (Ch 31). Its decline during the pandemic reflects the anti-Asian racism and xenophobia that the novel explores—customers avoid the restaurant out of fear, and a take-out customer refuses handmade pancakes (Ch 31). The restaurant's recovery, aided by Knox's Nextdoor promotion, represents immigrant resilience and community support.
3. What role does Christopher play in Knox's ADHD discovery?
Christopher is the first person to confirm Knox's suspicions about having ADHD. When Knox reveals he thinks he might have it, Christopher describes the symptoms—blurting things out, touching things you're not supposed to, feeling like you're always in trouble—and Knox recognizes himself immediately (Ch 28). Christopher's confirmation is both thrilling and terrifying for Knox.
4. How does Christopher respond to being targeted by coronavirus tag?
Christopher refuses to play the game, saying he doesn't want to play coronavirus tag (Ch 25). When the other kids run from him anyway, he kneels down and curls into a ball on the ground. He doesn't fight back or become angry. He later thanks Knox for defending him (Ch 28).
5. What does Christopher's friendship mean for Knox's adjustment to America?
Christopher is Knox's first friend in America. He invites Knox to sit beside him on his first day (Ch 24), helps him with Post-it notes (Ch 25), and becomes someone Knox can talk to about Hong Kong, his father, and his ADHD (Ch 28). Knox reflects that it feels good to know he has options and that he finally has a friend who gets it (Ch 28).
For more on how Christopher's story connects to the novel's larger arc, see the ending explained or browse common questions.