Christopher Boone Obstacles

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime is a novel about a fifteen year old boy named Christopher John Francis Boone that takes place at Swindon, England in the year 1998 in which Christopher is the narrator and protagonist whom battles with a mild case of Autism. Christopher discovers and unfortunate crime scene where he finds his next door neighbor’s, Mrs. Shears, poodle named Wellington dead in her yard. Mrs. Shears then calls the police stating that Christopher has killed her dog which is false. After getting arrested and arguments with Ed Boone, Christopher’s father, Christopher has the urge to figure out who the murderer is, and is then told to stay out of other people business and to avoid getting into trouble by his father. Christopher disobeys and sets out to finding the murderer and in turn facing many obstacles due to his autism, but takes advantage of the situation to improve his social skills and confidence level.

Judy Boone, Christopher’s mother, in which he was told had died is in fact living in London with Mrs.

Shears’ husband, which Christopher figures out through a series of letter written to him dated after his mother’s supposed death. Christopher later finds out that his mother and father were having affairs with Mr. And Mrs. Shears. An argument between Ed Boone and Mrs. Shears leads to the death of Wellington ultimately caused by Ed, Christopher’s father himself. After Christopher learns the horrendous news he then run away from home and sets off to finding his mother in which he discovers the frantic and disorganized ways of the world which puts him and his autism in various vulnerable situation which ultimately lead him to finding his mother and learning new ways to cope with his unique perspective of life. After finding his mother he takes his A-level exam and receives the highest possible score, which in turn give him confidence in the fact that he could study and pursue an independent and normal

life.
The article “With Autism, No longer invisible abridges the struggles and accomplishments of a recently diagnosed forty-two year old high functioning Autistic man named Joseph Sheppard. Joseph Sheppard graduated from a university with multiple degrees that include psychology and philosophy. Joseph has set out to helping people with his disorder and stands firmly with the belief that the Autistic community has been underestimated and can truly be part of the answer to a brighter future. Sheppard struggles with the daily difficulties of autism, such as the ability to identify facial expressions and the constant need for organization and routine. Despite having to cope with the struggles Joseph seems to have moved passed his disability and is always finding new ways to better himself and others.
Christopher from “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime” can be compared in which they both struggle with the same effects of autism, and they both want to better themselves so that they can live independently despite everyone that thinks that they cannot. The overall them of the book has to do with the coping of disabilities and understanding the unique perspective that they have on life. In both the article and the novel they stress that the ultimate goal is independence and making sure that despite everything, there is always a way to better yourself.