Summary: The Revised Fundamentals Of Caregiving

The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving by Jonathan Evison, was the story of a grungy man whose life is falling apart after a divorce and his attempt to get back on his feet by becoming a caregiver for a young disabled teen. The novel’s main focus is centered around self expression and self discovery. Though Ben had just gotten through a divorce, becoming Trevor’s caregiver helped him to discover things that he did not know about himself previously. For example, Ben discovers that he is a compassionate person but has a hard time expressing his emotions. By working with Trevor, Ben and Trevor develop a bond where Ben assumes the role of Trevor’s father and Trevor fills the role of Ben’s lost son. One of the reasons that Ben may have taken up the position as Trevor’s caregiver may have been to diminish his sense of regret after the accident with his son. Trevor became a second chance for Ben. …show more content…
Towards the beginning, Trevor and Ben begin to put together a map of unusual roadside attractions across North America. Though its original purpose was to be a pass-time, the map quickly became a sign of hope for Trevor that he could one day live a normal life. Towards the middle of the novel, Trevor and Ben depart on a one week road trip to visit a few of the attractions that had been mapped out. The roadtrip became a way for Trevor to live the most “normal” life he has ever lived. Being diagnosed with muscular dystrophy since the age of three, Trevor’s day to day schedule has always been more or less the same. Every morning he eats the same waffles and protein shake and stays cooped up inside the same house, rarely leaving. However, underneath all of the hardship and struggle of Trevor’s day-to-day life, he still maintains a refreshingly sarcastic