Summary of Sophie's World

Summary of Sophie's World

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  Summary of Sophie’sWorld: Sophie is a girl approaching her 15th birthday. She encounters first some odd philosophical questions and then the first chapter of a written philosophy course in her mailbox. Sophie starts to learn about the historical beginning of philosophy. At the same time, Sophie is curious who is giving her this course. Sophie also begins to receive postcards addressed to Hilde, a girl also approaching her 15th birthday, from Hilde’s father Albert Knag, a Norwegian Major in the UN Force in Lebanon. Sophie gets thorough education in Greek and Hellenistic philosophy, but things begin to become strange. The videotape that Sophie gets not only has the philosopher Albert Knox in Athens at the Acropolis, but someone on the Acropolis is holding up a banner that reads “Hilde”. There is actually an appearance by someone claiming to be Plato himself. At this time, Sophie is introduced to her philosophy teacher, Albert Knox. Later, Sophie follows the philosophy teacher’s dog to his cabin and sees a mirror, where a girl winks back at Sophie. Soon after, Sophie gets a telephone call from Alberto to meet him in a church for a lesson on Middle Ages. They have to intensify the course, because Hilde’s father, the Major is coming home soon, Sophie is told. It becomes more and more clear that the Major has supernatural powers over Sophie and her world. Finally, after a class on the British philosopher George Berkeley, it becomes cleaer that Alberto, Sophie and all the other people in the story are character in a book composed in the mind of Major. At this point, Sophie threatens to abandon the course, but Alberto encourages her to finish the course and then escape from the Major. Berkeley’s philosophy, which Sophie had just studied, assures Sophie that sensual perceptions only exist in the mind of the perceiver. She comfort herself with the idea that as She and Alberto are characters in s philosophy book, the Major and Hilde themselves could be also characters in a book. From the standpoint of Berkeley, it can even be argued that Sophhie and Alberto are just as real as the Major and Hilde. The philosophical game foreshadows the point at the end of the book, where the positions of the characters in term of perception re changed. The reader is introduced to Hilde, a young girl of Sophie’s age, with the same birth date. Hilde totally involved in reading the philosophy book about the Sophie and Alberto. Hilde is thrilled that her father has written this book for her, yet she becomes annoyed in how her father is treating the characters Sophie and Alberto. Due to such things as Hilde missing her crucifix, and Sophie finding it in the story, Hilde begins to believe that Sophie and Alberto somehow really exist. There is also added tension between Sophie and her mother. Sophie’s mother thinks Sophie is in trouble with a boy or man or going crazy. However, claims the mother down by telling her that the mother will meet the philosopher at the party they are holding on Mid Summer Eve. This is a combination party for Mid Summer Eve and for Sophie’s 15th birthday that happens a week earlier. Meanwhile, the philosophy course goes through Descartes, Hegel, Marx, Darwin and other philosophers, through Jean Paul Sartre, the existentialist. The existentialist philosophy, too, urges Alberto and Sophie to create their own meaning. The Mid Summer Eve party is renamed the Philosophical Garden Party, and boys, girls, Alberto Knox the philosopher and other are invited. The party rapidly degenerates into existentialist chaos but not before giving a chance for Alberto and Sophie to escape the Major’s attention and his book. However, we still hear about how they are now part of the invisible people. Hilde is angered at the tricks that her fathr played on Sophie and Alberto and plays some tricks of her own on him as he flies home to Norway. Finally, the Majorcomes home to his daughter, Hilde, while Sophie and Alberto watch, now invisible to
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  them. Before theMajor is able to see them, but he could not see them, so the position of sensual perceptions has turned around. On Mid Summer Eve, the Major and Hilde have one last discussion of the nature of universe. In this way, the book is philosophy course and also a story of intrigue and development of two girls in two different worlds.