Post 4

The character I want to analyze is Richard Mayhew.

Here’s an image of the man who played the role of Richard Mayhew in the BBC series of Neverwhere, Gary Bakewell, as stated in the link provided below this image.

Image source page: http://www.aveleyman.com/ActorCredit.aspx?ActorID=41220

Richard Mayhew, a character from Neverwhere, is a businessman from Scotland who moves to London. The other London (London Below) is just below the surface of the “real” London, (London Above). It is there that Richard’s maturity develops. The most important thing that stood out the most to me from Richard Mayhew is how his desire for what he wanted, changes. To confirm this statement, according to Neil Gaiman who did an interview that was documented after the page labeled “Acknowledgments” in the paperback edition of Neverwhere, he stated that he“wanted to write a story about someone growing up and changing [in this novel, it was Richard Mayhew]; and about someone who goes through the book wanting something, and then, when he finally gets that thing, finds he isn’t the person who wanted it any longer….” (Gaiman). In this novel, that “he” and that “someone” Gaiman is referring to Richard Mayhew. So not only is Richard changing, but he is growing up.

All of his desires and his fears change when he gets involved with the rest of the dwellers of London Below.  From the moment he has to cross a plank without falling at such an elevated height, to the moment that he must fight the great Beast of London, Richard Mayhew learns to get out of his comfort-zone.

Richard’s development as a person is the crux of why this work (as a whole) is considered a coming-of-age story.