Sophie's World, by Jostein Gaarder, is a fantasy novel that explores the history of philosophy. It takes place in Norway in the 1990's. Some of the themes in the book are philosophy and free will. Dreams in the book often foreshadow events that occur later. Sophie is the primary narrator but point of view begins to switch between Sophie and Hilde. Albert Knag's point of view is also told in a few pages of the novel. The story comes to a climax when Sophie and Alberto disappear from the party. The falling action is when Hilde gives Albert Knag a taste of his own medicine, while Sophie and Alberto explore life as a spirit. The characters are Sophie, Alberto, Hilde, Albert Knag, Sophie's mother, Joanna, Hilde's mother, Sophie's father, Jeremy, and Hermes.
             Sophie is the main character. She is a creation of Albert Knag's, and is meant to be a birthday present for Hilde. She is the same age as Hilde and their birthdays are on the same day. She learns from Albert but she thinks by herself. She is critical of everyone around her. She is very mature for her age and is quite the little philosopher. Although Alberto knows more about philosophy than Sophie, when they escape Albert Knag's mind and gain an existence of their own, as spirits existing within Hilde's world, Sophie gets along better.
             Alberto is Sophie's philosophy teacher. He is a true philosopher in the fact that he thinks he knows nothing. He values time spent with company that can teach him something. In the beginning he is the one teaching Sophie but in the end they treat each other as equals. He holds onto his ability to think as the one thing that makes him human. He is great at reasoning and thinking things out.
             Hilde is Albert Knag's daughter. She is why Sophie and Alberto were created. She is compassionate. She is willing to believe in things no matter what anyone else thinks, like Sophie. On her fifteenth birt...