Christopher

Christopher is a thirteen-year-old inner personality of William Stanley Milligan whose brief appearance makes the shifts between identities audible and visible. Obedient but troubled, he speaks with a British accent and plays the harmonica; when questioned, he presents himself as Christopher rather than David and describes Christene as his younger sister.

Identity and Background

Christopher is described as a boy with brownish-blond hair, like Christene’s, but with shorter bangs. He speaks with a British accent, specified in the interview as Cockney, and is characterized as obedient yet troubled. The account also associates him with playing the harmonica. These details give him a distinct profile within the collection of personalities, rather than presenting him simply as a change in voice.

The Interview

When the interviewer speaks to him, Christopher initially does not respond. He looks around and glances at her without appearing to recognize her; when he does speak, he says that everything is loud and that he does not know what is happening. Asked whether he is David, he corrects her: he is Christopher. He explains David’s absence by saying that David has been naughty, then refers to a secret David told. The exchange suggests that Christopher distinguishes himself from David and knows something about why David is not present, although the passage does not explain the secret.

Asked about himself, Christopher gives his age as thirteen and says that he is from England. He names Christene as his only sibling and says she is three years old. The account describes his manner as open, earnest, and happy, sharply contrasting with the person the interviewer had spoken to the previous day. Her surprise at the change leads her to consider the possibility that Milligan is acting, leaving the scene poised between an observable shift in presentation and her uncertainty about how to interpret it.

Relationships and Narrative Role

Christopher’s clearest stated relationship is with Christene, whom he identifies as his younger sister; the broader account also describes him as her brother. His comments about David establish a different connection: he is not David, but he knows David has been naughty and has told a secret. The interview offers no further explanation of either relationship, so their significance rests on the distinctions Christopher himself makes.

His short exchange contributes concrete detail to the book’s portrayal of Milligan’s different personalities: accent, age, manner, and apparent knowledge change together, while the interviewer attempts to make sense of what she is seeing. Christopher’s arrival is especially marked by contrast—the loudness and confusion he reports, followed by the earnest, cheerful manner the interviewer observes. The passage records that contrast without resolving her suspicion that it could be performance.