Every hero has a villain, but not every protagonist has to have its antagonist. An in-depth prospect is given on the life of a fifteen year old boy, Christopher Boone, who is struggling to get by in life, while courageously dealing with his Asperger’s Syndrome. Overtime, Christopher attempts to piece together the murder mystery of his neighbor’s dog, while discovering the gruesome lies that his father, Ed Boone, has repeatedly told him. In the curious incident of the dog in the night-time, by Mark Haddon, Ed Boone is a good dad whose mistakes are completely understandable; what can never be questioned is his unconditional love, effortful protection and undying commitment to his son, which allows Christopher to grow in spite of the numerous …show more content…
challenges he faces. To love someone unconditionally is to promise to love without any limitation; this is a promise that every loving parent makes to their child. Ed loves Christopher no matter how many times Christopher pushes him to his limit. To add on, although Christopher does not truly understand the affection of his father, Ed still loves him, knowing that Christopher may never love him back. Christopher’s diagnosis takes away his abilities to understand love on a personal level, “loving someone is helping them when they get into trouble, and looking after them, and telling them the truth, and Father looks after me when I get into trouble, like coming to the police station, and he looks after me by cooking meals for, and he always tells me the truth” (Haddon 87). Christopher simply explains love as actions rather than feelings. Thus, this shows that he understands that his father does love him, but he only knows this because of the way his father acts in order to please his needs. When his father makes a mistake, Christopher does not have in-depth understanding of love to see why his father does what he does and to forgive him. Christopher’s love is based on discrete conditions. However, due to Asperger’s (ASD), Christopher does not feel very much; he often determines what he is supposed to feel through logical reasoning. For example, when Siobhan shows Christopher more complex emotions, he “[is] unable to say what the[y] meant” (Haddon 3). To add on, Christopher mentions that even after assaulting the officer, his father supported him and not once did he question his behavior. Furthermore, Christopher did not understand why his father was being so supportive, and whether this was his way of loving him as Christopher was still confused on the concept of love. Mr. Boone is constantly reminding his son about how much he diligently cares about him, “I love you very much, Christopher. Don’t ever forget that. And I know I lose my rag occasionally. I know I get angry. I know I should. And I know I shouldn’t. But I only do it because I worry about you, because I don’t want to see you getting into trouble. I don’t want you to get hurt. Do you understand” (Haddon 87). Ed explains to his to son that in spite of everything that has happened and anything that may happen in the future, he will unfailingly love him. Ed explains to Christopher that his anger is only a result of not being able to understand Christopher’s behavior; however, Christopher still does not understand this affection and says “I don’t know” (Haddon 87). To prove his love “[Ed] held up his right hand and spread his fingers out in a fan” (Haddon 87); this not only shows his love, but his adherence and commitment to Christopher’s lifestyle. Keeping loved ones protected from the pain and suffering from the harsh reality of the world is easier said than done.
Sometimes the way a parent shelters their child is misinterpreted by society as they are not aware of the household conditions. When Christopher was arrested for assault, Ed bursts into the station yelling, “I want see my son… Why the hell is he locked up…Of course I’m bloody angry” (Haddon 16). Once Ed found out that Christopher had been locked up, he was heartbroken at the fact that he could not save his son from experiencing such a tragedy. Ed burdens himself from Christopher’s faults as he believes that they are his own. Moreover, he beats himself up for not being able to protect Christopher from incidents that cannot be controlled. During, the second half of the book, Ed becomes the villain in Christopher’s eyes; however, all Ed wants to do is shield his son from agony. Christopher stumbles upon letters, which reveal that, Judy, his mother is in fact alive, and has been trying to contact him. At that moment, Christopher began to hate his father for lying to him his whole life, and quickly concludes that his father wanted to keep him separated from his mother for narcissistic reasons. What Christopher does not understand is that his father’s intentions are pure, “I did it for your good, Christopher. Honestly I did. I never meant to lie. I just thought … I just thought it was better if you didn’t know that … that … I didn’t mean to … I was going to show …show more content…
them to you when you were older” (Haddon 144). This goes to show that Ed simply wants to shelter his son from the fact that his mother had abandoned the both of them. His desire to constantly shield Christopher and punish his mother for the horrible way she left her family, forces him to lie to Christopher about his mother. Mr. Boone is completely overstrained with the way events are turning out and cannot afford to lose his only son. It is not only a mechanism of protection, but an example of his love and devotion to Christopher. A wise man once said, “[c]ommitment is what transforms a promise into reality” (Lincoln 1809 - 1865).
Ed’s passion and commitment to giving his son the best life possible is what allows Christopher to achieve such great things and grow as an individual. To some, Ed is just a father trying to cope with raising a son, who has unfortunately been diagnosed with ASD. However, they do not realize the many difficulties and duties he faces due to the life he leads, such as “[he] cooked his meals. “[He] cleaned his clothes. “[He] looked after him every weekend. “[He] looked after him when he was ill. “[He] took him to the doctor. “[He] worried [himself] sick every time he wandered off somewhere at night. “[He] went to school every time he got into a fight” (Haddon 196). As Ed argues with Judy about all he has done for his son, it makes it apparent how much time and care he has really dedicated to his son. Ed is continuously going out of his way to put his sons’ needs and wants before his own. This is why, when Christopher does not want to be with his father anymore, it hurts him so dearly. Mr. Boone does not once quit on Christopher; he never fails to fulfill his responsibilities to care for his son. Ed does not back down even when Christopher broke his heart and ran off to London. At this point, Christopher has made it obvious that he wanted nothing to do with father; yet Ed continues to build a broken relationship with his son.
Christopher, look … Things can’t go on like
this. I don’t know about you, but this… this just hurts too much. You being in the house but refusing to talk to me … You have to learn to trust me … And I don’t care how long it takes … If it’s a minute one day and two minutes the next and three minutes the next and it takes years I don’t care. Because this is important. This is more important than anything else. (Haddon 218) Ed is willing to commit all of his energy into this “project” he has started with Christopher. He is extremely persistent as once he decides that he is going to patch up his relationship with his son, he sets his mind to it, and will not let anyone or anything get in his way. He uses his perseverance and commitment to always side by his son and be the best father possible. In conclusion, no matter what others may perceive, Ed Boone is in fact an effective father and without a doubt he tries to shelter Christopher from all the danger in the world. Ed continues to love Christopher through thick and thin, along with promising to always support and be in his son’s life. Ed Boone is continuously supporting his son and has given Christopher the opportunity to evolve and build a future for himself.
In the short story “Dog,” Russo paints the picture of a strong willed boy who is amongst parents who don’t understand what the real problem which is his lack of parents attention and bad parenting when dealing with his extreme obsessions over getting a dog.
The last thing Christopher’s father would have wanted is for Christopher to have felt pain, anger or abandoned. Christopher’s mother, Judy, decided to leave them both for various reasons which lead to the father’s lie. Ed told Christopher, that his mother was hospitalized and later on that she had died all to spare his feelings of the truth regarding the mother’s absence in their lives for two years. One of Christopher’s mother’s reasons was due to her not being
Chris McCandless always wanted to live on his own and in the wild, however that would soon become a mistake. In the novel Into The Wild the main character, Chris McCandless, hitchhiked to Alaska. He had given $25,000 to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. Chris McCandless was influenced by many literary heroes, but the three that influenced him the most were Jack London, Henry David Thoreau, and Leo Tolstoy. Chris was influenced by these heroes in many ways, and they changed his life forever .
Into the Wild, written by John Krakauer tells of a young man named Chris McCandless who 1deserted his college degree and all his worldly possessions in favor of a primitive transient life in the wilderness. Krakauer first told the story of Chris in an article in Outside Magazine, but went on to write a thorough book, which encompasses his life in the hopes to explain what caused him to venture off alone into the wild. McCandless’ story soon became a national phenomenon, and had many people questioning why a “young man from a well-to-do East Coast family [would] hitchhike to Alaska” (Krakauer i). Chris comes from an affluent household and has parents that strived to create a desirable life for him and his sister. As Chris grows up, he becomes more and more disturbed by society’s ideals and the control they have on everyday life. He made a point of spiting his parents and the lifestyle they lived. This sense of unhappiness continues to build until after Chris has graduated college and decided to leave everything behind for the Alaskan wilderness. Knowing very little about how to survive in the wild, Chris ventures off on his adventure in a state of naïveté. It is obvious that he possessed monumental potential that was wasted on romanticized ideals and a lack of wisdom. Christopher McCandless is a unique and talented young man, but his selfish and ultimately complacent attitude towards life and his successes led to his demise.
He has endured and overcame many fears and struggles, but during this section, we truly acquire an insight of what the little boy is actually like – his thoughts, his opinions, his personality. Contrary to his surroundings, the little boy is vibrant and almost the only lively thing around. I love him! He is awfully appalled by the “bad guys” and shockingly sympathetic toward dead people. For example, when the father raided a house and found food, the little boy suggested that they should thank them because even though they’re dead or gone, without them, the little boy and father would starve. My heart goes out to him because he is enduring things little boys should never go through, even if this novel is just a fictional
A hero is an individual who sacrifices their own concerns for a greater good. Before Andrew Carnegie’s birth, television, radio, movie/t.v stars, basketball, and football didn’t exist. However, after the Civil War, railroads were under construction which connected New York with California. Andrew Carnegie was born in November 1835, in the attic of a cottage in Dunfermline, Scotland. Andrew Carnegie grew up poor and started school at the age of eight with 150 students in one room. His family decided to move to America in 1848. At the age of twelve, Andrew started working and he soon worked himself up as a supervisor of the Penny’s entire Western Division. Carnegie officially owned the Carnegie Steel Corporation in 1889, which was the largest
The world is plagued with an inseparable mix of good and evil. People make mistakes, but often start out with good intentions. Often times actions live in the grey zone, a combination of good intentions but bad outcomes. In Mark Haddon’s novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time there are many decisions that could be considered morally ambiguous. The story is told from the perspective of an autistic fifteen-year-old, Christopher Boone, who is investigating the death of his neighbor’s dog. His mother, Judy Boone supposedly died two years back, when in actuality she ran off to London with another man and, in turn, has been shut out of Christopher’s life. His father, Ed Boone hides the truth involving Christopher’s mother, pretending
Christopher is a fifteen-year old boy with Aspergers Autism whose life is full of uncanny surprises. His main focus is on school, and his ability to take the maths A level exams. Unfortunately, that was his focus until he finds Wellington dead on Mrs. Shears’ lawn. Christopher wants to know who killed Wellington and why. He investigates and finds out not only who killed Wellington, but he discovers secrets about his mother and father. In the book “The Curious Incident of the dog in the night-time”, the author, Mark Haddon, shows us how courageous Christopher is throughout his journey. According to Aristotle, a man is courageous when he sets himself free from his fears, pain, and poverty instead of running away from it. According to Aristotle’s theory, Christopher profusely shows courage when he investigates Wellington’s murder and travels to London to find his mom.
In Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild, Chris McCandless entered the wild with little more than a .22 caliber rifle, ten pounds of rice, and a book on edible plants. Some critics consider his death to be a result of his ignorance and lack of preparation to face the brutal elements. Yet despite Chris McCandless’s small pack of supplies and lack of experience, he has a clear set of goals guiding his adventure and was expecting to test the boundaries of death. McCandless wanted to live purely off the land as nature intended. Chris McCandless died a hero who survived the brutal Alaskan wilderness by living off of what the land provided and never straying from his moral values.
In his book review, “The Remains of the Dog,” Jay McInerney discusses how Christopher’s, “severely logical point of view,” draws the reader to question the, “common sense and the erratic emotionalism of the normal citizens who surround [Christopher].” Being put in Christopher’s shoes, on the receiving end of his parents’ aggression, highlights the difference between the “severely logical” Christopher and the average teenager, who would most likely yell back at their parents. His disorder causes him to analyze every situation but only act out when one of his triggers, like being touched, is set off. When he is left untouched he is able to diffuse his parent’s anger by calmly agreeing to their
The book begins as a mystery novel with a goal of finding the killer of the neighbor's dog, Wellington. The mystery of the dog is solved mid-way through the book, and the story shifts towards the Boone family. We learn through a series of events that Christopher has been lied to the past two years of his life. Christopher's father told him that his mother had died in the hospital. In reality she moved to London to start a new life because she was unable to handle her demanding child. With this discovery, Christopher's world of absolutes is turned upside-down and his faith in his father is destroyed. Christopher, a child that has never traveled alone going any further than his school, leaves his home in order to travel across the country to find his mother who is living in London.
Relationships can only survive through adapting to constant change. Without that aspect, they would not last. In Mark Haddon’s novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, a boy with Aspergers goes through life surrounded by mystery, dishonesty, and dysfunctionality. Because of this, secrets are revealed, relationships are changed, and the connection between family is brought into a new light. Through these events, the boy and his family discover and rediscover their ties with each other. In The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, the author demonstrates that the ability to adapt and change is the most essential characteristic in life because it strengthens relationships, as illustrated through Christopher, his mother
The father’s character begins to develop with the boy’s memory of an outing to a nightclub to see the jazz legend, Thelonius Monk. This is the first sign of the father’s unreliability and how the boy’s first recollection of a visitation with him was a dissatisfaction to his mother. The second sign of the father’s lack of responsibility appears again when he wanted to keep taking the boy down the snowy slopes even though he was pushing the time constraints put on his visitation with his son. He knew he was supposed to have the boy back with his mother in time for Christmas Eve dinner. Instead, the father wanted to be adventurous with his son and keep taking him down the slopes for one last run. When that one last run turned into several more, the father realized he was now pushing the time limits of his visit. Even though he thought he was going to get him home, he was met with a highway patrol’s blockade of the now closed road that led home.
Christopher John Francis Boone is a fifteen year old boy with autism, struggling to handle everyday situations. His parents, Ed and Judy Boone, fight and try their best to guide their son through the cruelty of life. When Mrs. Shears’s dog, Wellington, is mysteriously murdered, Christopher goes to far lengths to find out who killed him. Along the way, he unravels dark secrets and fights against his own personal limitation as well as his father’s and mother’s. Christopher cannot stand being touched, leading him to being unable to have a concrete relationship and even puts himself in danger. Ed allows hi emotions to control him, ruining his relationship with his son and lashing out, leaving him in an unforgivable position. Finally, Judy is ill-tempered and
Throughout the chapters of The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog, Dr. Perry describes personal experiences based on the lives of individuals he has encountered. The correlation among the characters described in Skin Hunger, The Coldest Heart, and The Boy Who Was Raised