However, David rather soon is both willing and able to change his mind and negative attitudes regarding the "lessons" he is being taught by his aunt, as the latter's, as the Gawgon's approach to both teaching and learning is revolutionary, is both truly novel and engaging, as unlike those teachers who simply recite dry and mundane facts and data that students are (that David is) supposed to then memorise and recite, Aunt Annie makes her subjects come alive and be of increasing and lasting interest even to and for the reluctant and recalcitrant student that David obviously tends to be, not only impressing but in fact also enchanting and invigorating him. For the Boy, for David does not at all enjoy school (and book learning) and would thus much rather he be able to spend his enforced and necessary time away from the classroom writing and illustrating his own imaginatively fantastical pirate-themed adventures than to be stuck at home having to learn from the Gawgon, from Aunt Annie, information and details regarding history, literature and philosophy. Now I have indeed and certainly very much enjoyed in particular the autobiographical bits and pieces of Lloyd Alexander's The Gawgon and the Boy and how young David (who is obviously supposed to represent the author as a youngster, as an eleven year old) after his first reluctance and even resentment comes to both appreciate the Gawgon (the Gorgon), his rather eccentric and unconventional Aunt Annie, who has been tasked with acting as David's tutor after a serious bout with pneumonia leaves him too physically weak to immediately return to school.
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