Mister God, This Is Anna
Encyclopedia
Mister God, This Is Anna is a book by Sydney Hopkins under the pseudonym "Fynn" describing the adventures of Anna, a mischievous yet wise four-year-old who Fynn finds as a runaway. Nineteen-year-old Fynn takes Anna home to his mother who takes her in, though Fynn becomes Anna's main caretaker and closest friend. Fynn recounts his time spent with Anna, and gives a very personal account of her outpourings on life, mathematics, science and her mentor, Mister God. The sequels of Mister God, This Is Anna are Anna's Book (1986), and Anna and the Black Knight (1990).
The book was reissued by HarperCollins in 2005 with a Foreword by Rowan Williams
, Archbishop of Canterbury
.
in the mid-1930s. While roaming the docks at night, the author comes across a small girl sitting on the grating below a shop window. He sits down next to her, and from that moment on, his life is never the same. Unable to find out where she came from, Fynn takes the child home, only to discover she is an abused runaway. She spends her next three years as Fynn's inseparable companion.
The book gives an account of their friendship. Anna by nature is the inquisitor, the forever probing creature who likes to find a rhyme and reason for everything. Fynn, being the student, has to follow her hard-to-understand, yet simple logic. Philosophical questions are investigated through the eyes of a child, who proposes simple, common-sense solutions.
"At five years Anna knew absolutely the purpose of being, knew the meaning of love and was a personal friend and helper of Mister God. At six Anna was a theologian, mathematician, philosopher, poet and gardener. If you asked her a question you would always find an answer. On some occasions the answer would be delayed for weeks or months; but eventually, in her own good time, the answer would come: direct, simple and much to the point."
Anna lives her life complete, she is involved with everything. The gist of the book is the philosophy of a child who has the wisdom to comprehend more than what would be expected of her. "She never made eight years, she died by an accident. She died with a grin on her beautiful face. She died saying, 'I bet Mister God lets me into heaven for this'."
The ending of the book describes Anna's death, and Fynn's profound grief. He visits Anna's grave and sees it to be a riot of flowers. At that moment he lets go of his angst against God. The answer he realizes is "Anna is in my middle". This particular reference is to a conversation between Anna and Fynn. God is part of everybody and everybody is part of God. Fynn walks away from her graveyard with renewed hope. In his preface to both the British and American editions of the book, Vernon Sproxton remarks that he has seen Anna's drawings and notes and that he believes her to be real.
The sequels of Mister God, This Is Anna are Anna's Book (1986), and Anna and the Black Knight (1990).
, but soon became disillusioned. He won a scholarship to a local grammar school, Cooper’s Company College
, London E3, and left aged 15 to work for The Russian Oil and Petroleum Company, where he had aspirations of becoming a research chemist. Following a fall off a cliff he suffered chronic insomnia and in 1939 was referred to Finchden Manor in Kent
, a therapeutic community run by George Lyward O.B.E., and later joined the staff.
Theologian Vernon Sproxton commented that Hopkin's "most formative thinking took place far from the quads and colleges and punted rivers amongst the small streets, warehouses, and canals of the East End. But with his modest job and his Woolworth's do-it-yourself laboratory he produced thought to which few PhD's have approximated."
There is some uncertainty about Syd's age on first encountering Anna. Early editions of the book say he was nineteen, but this would be impossible if he was to know Anna for 3 years before the outbreak of war, and in the latest editions of MGTIA his age has been amended to sixteen.
The book was reissued by HarperCollins in 2005 with a Foreword by Rowan Williams
Rowan Williams
Rowan Douglas Williams FRSL, FBA, FLSW is an Anglican bishop, poet and theologian. He is the 104th and current Archbishop of Canterbury, Metropolitan of the Province of Canterbury and Primate of All England, offices he has held since early 2003.Williams was previously Bishop of Monmouth and...
, Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
.
Background
The story begins on the streets of the East End of LondonEast End of London
The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
in the mid-1930s. While roaming the docks at night, the author comes across a small girl sitting on the grating below a shop window. He sits down next to her, and from that moment on, his life is never the same. Unable to find out where she came from, Fynn takes the child home, only to discover she is an abused runaway. She spends her next three years as Fynn's inseparable companion.
The book gives an account of their friendship. Anna by nature is the inquisitor, the forever probing creature who likes to find a rhyme and reason for everything. Fynn, being the student, has to follow her hard-to-understand, yet simple logic. Philosophical questions are investigated through the eyes of a child, who proposes simple, common-sense solutions.
"At five years Anna knew absolutely the purpose of being, knew the meaning of love and was a personal friend and helper of Mister God. At six Anna was a theologian, mathematician, philosopher, poet and gardener. If you asked her a question you would always find an answer. On some occasions the answer would be delayed for weeks or months; but eventually, in her own good time, the answer would come: direct, simple and much to the point."
Anna lives her life complete, she is involved with everything. The gist of the book is the philosophy of a child who has the wisdom to comprehend more than what would be expected of her. "She never made eight years, she died by an accident. She died with a grin on her beautiful face. She died saying, 'I bet Mister God lets me into heaven for this'."
The ending of the book describes Anna's death, and Fynn's profound grief. He visits Anna's grave and sees it to be a riot of flowers. At that moment he lets go of his angst against God. The answer he realizes is "Anna is in my middle". This particular reference is to a conversation between Anna and Fynn. God is part of everybody and everybody is part of God. Fynn walks away from her graveyard with renewed hope. In his preface to both the British and American editions of the book, Vernon Sproxton remarks that he has seen Anna's drawings and notes and that he believes her to be real.
The sequels of Mister God, This Is Anna are Anna's Book (1986), and Anna and the Black Knight (1990).
Author
Hopkins, as a teenager and young adult, lived in the East End of London in the early 1930s. He was briefly drawn towards the politics of Oswald MosleyOswald Mosley
Sir Oswald Ernald Mosley, 6th Baronet, of Ancoats, was an English politician, known principally as the founder of the British Union of Fascists...
, but soon became disillusioned. He won a scholarship to a local grammar school, Cooper’s Company College
Coopers' Company and Coborn School
The Coopers' Company and Coborn School is a 11-18 school in Upminster, in the London Borough of Havering, and is part of Essex.-Admissions:The school is a non-selective voluntary aided state comprehensive school describe by Ofsted as "an exceptional school of real excellence". The school excels at...
, London E3, and left aged 15 to work for The Russian Oil and Petroleum Company, where he had aspirations of becoming a research chemist. Following a fall off a cliff he suffered chronic insomnia and in 1939 was referred to Finchden Manor in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, a therapeutic community run by George Lyward O.B.E., and later joined the staff.
Theologian Vernon Sproxton commented that Hopkin's "most formative thinking took place far from the quads and colleges and punted rivers amongst the small streets, warehouses, and canals of the East End. But with his modest job and his Woolworth's do-it-yourself laboratory he produced thought to which few PhD's have approximated."
There is some uncertainty about Syd's age on first encountering Anna. Early editions of the book say he was nineteen, but this would be impossible if he was to know Anna for 3 years before the outbreak of war, and in the latest editions of MGTIA his age has been amended to sixteen.
Sources
- Mr Lyward's Answer by Michael Burn (Hamish Hamilton, 1956)
- George Lyward - His Autobiography by John Lyward (Lulu, 2008)