The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night

“Belief in the truth of someone or something.” Trust is probably the most valued thing in human interaction and when Christopher’s father confessed to lying to him, Christopher feels like he cannot trust his father anymore. Although, Christopher, the main character of the novel The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time written by Mark Haddon, has autism and thinks very differently than I do, I can relate to him because a little over two years ago I lost all my friends and was diagnosed with depression making it hard to trust people. To me, parents and friends are supposed to be the people you trust and hope that they will never hurt you, and when Christopher felt betrayed by his father I instantly recollected when I felt that way towards

Since the novel is told from Christopher's point of view, it lets the reader understand his thoughts during “dramatic” interactions. The reader is able

“The truth is always an insult or a joke, lies are generally tastier. We love them. The nature of lies is to please. Truth has no concern for anyone's comfort” Katherine Dunn perfectly describes what attracts us to lies from a quote in her book Geek Love. Most people lie to help themselves make it through day to day life. If people lie all the time, can all that lying really have an immense effect? Delays for telling the truth is not always a bad thing.While some lies are more helpful to some people more than others. Lies can make people seem untrustworthy, although lies help protect innocence, maintain self-esteem, and prevent harm from yourself or others.

To write a good mystery novel takes time and only a few authors have been successful in writing them. Mystery novels has been around for a period of time with historical authors such as Arthur Conan Doyle and recent author Stephen King. In these novels, clues are provided by the author and Christopher Boone, narrator of the novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, states, “If it is a good puzzle you can sometimes work out the answer before the end of the book” (5). In relation to this, the most valuable information is typically gained throughout the process of the investigation rather than the solution itself. Although the book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is not classified as a detective story, the plot still goes through an investigation and shares elements of a mystery novel. The mystery within the story that keeps the novel going is to find the killer of Mrs. Shears’ poodle, Wellington, and in turn, shapes the ending where the audience sees the development of the protagonist, Christopher, through the investigation itself, the journey to London and his overall ability as a writer.

The structure and language of the novel are determined by Christopher’s interests and perceptions of reality. This is demonstrated through the narrative voice, which is created through the use of short sentences, concrete language and sequential statements like when Christopher was interrogated and was questioned by the police on Wellington’s death “Did you kill the dog?” “No”. Also the repetition of dialogue within the extract such as “and I said”, “and she/he said”, “yes” and “no” between Siobhan and Christopher demonstrates his way of thinking and conveying facts through answering with simple answers and sequential statements. Through the structure and language of the novel it helps the audience to understand Christopher’s actions when they were difficult to understand, it allows the responder to sympathize with him with his difficulty. It allows the responder to think about their own experiences which helps them to see a person with complex thoughts. It also allows the responder to see events from his perspective as the audience is given the privilege of his insights, thoughts and feelings as the responder sees the world in a way that is different to the way we normally perceive it. Through this we are able to engage with him as a real person and to get a view into a way of thinking that we wouldn’t normally have access

In Haddon’s novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, the objectivity of truth is placed into question. Throughout the book, Haddon is able to assimilate to his readers the thoughts and experiences of a boy with autism. The way in which Christopher views the world, is drastically distinctive from the majority of other persons. He is unable to distinguish a vast array of emotions and has difficulty emphasizing with and understanding others. Christopher is only able to make sense of other’s feelings and emotions through logical and literal interpretation. Ironically, Christopher’s own thoughts and emotions are void of this scrutiny. As a human being, Christopher is subject to feelings and emotions like everyone else. As a result of his inability to make sense of emotions, he is often forced to construe reasons for his own illogical behavior. Through means of Christopher’s pretentious interpretations, Haddon is able to establish an underlying theme of subjectivity.

This shows how Mark Haddon creates an authentic character because he shows what kind of environment Christopher has to deal with. Another example that how Mark Haddon creates an authentic character is how christopher judges the kids in his school by calling them stupid “All the other children at my school are stupid. Except I'm not meant to call them stupid, even though this is what they are”( Haddon 71) This is another example of the complex character of Christopher. He speaks often about the students in his class that are different than other students would

I admire Christopher for leaving his family and friends to live a life of seclusion and wonder. Although, I do wonder why he was so unprepared;

“Haddon manages to bring us deep inside Christopher’s mind and situates us comfortably within his limited, severely logical point of view, to the extent that we begin to question the common sense and the erratic emotionalism of the normal citizens who surround him, as well as our own intuitions and habits of perception”

Have you ever been lied to? It hurts right? You lose all the respect and all the trust you had for that person. Trust is absolutely necessary for relationships to succeed. In the book “The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time” by Mark Haddon we are introduced to Christopher, a mentally challenged teen who is really smart in math and science but not very smart when it comes down to social skills. Christopher hates lies and doesn't trust people who tell them.

Lastly, Haddon lets us into Christopher’s world and allows us to be able to understand Christopher. He uses Christophers language and communication to unveil the reality of the idealistic thoughts

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime is a fictional story about a boy named Christopher who has behavioral problems. One night Christopher finds his neighbor’s dog murder and sets out to find who killed him. Christopher’s investigation takes him to London to meet his mother. As Christopher travels to London he meets many different people and through his interactions with others he is able to develop and become more independent. Christopher developed and his interactions with other characters indicated that he developed his interactions with other and became more independent. Mark Haddon develops Christopher in a way that proves he is more independent and he is able to interact with people better than before.

The Curious Case of Christopher Boone The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time highlights the life of a young teenager, Christopher Boone. Christopher has been diagnosed with Asperger’s and is helped by his father and teacher. The story is told from his perspective. Because the story is told from his perspective, readers are given a broader perspective of different people.

This essay will be an analytical essay where the novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon will be analyzed and interpreted. The focus will be on the language of the novel and the themes and messages.

The mind of an autistic person is fascinating and frightening because usually their actions can’t accurately express what their brain is thinking. It is frustrating to try and determine what a child with autism is trying to say, and often results in them being misunderstood. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon, tells the story from the perspective of Christopher Boone, a fifteen year old boy with autism. Chris is brilliant at math and science, but is unable to understand or express emotion. His difficult home life further contributes to his illness; he doesn’t have anyone at home who supports him and tries to help him. His teacher, Siobhan, is his only friend and the only person who tries to help him learn to