What Is The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nighttime Essay

928 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The curious incident of the dog in the night-time

Have you ever felt misunderstood? Have you ever felt isolated from the people around you? Have you ever wanted everyone to just leave you alone? In The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, written by Mark Haddon, Christopher, the novel’s main protagonist, struggles with trying to relate to other people, has a hard time understanding why people question the way he acts, constantly feels isolated from the people around him, and dreams of being the only human being left on the planet. Christopher has a condition, an unstated form of autism that makes him think and speak differently then all the other characters in the book. What starts as a mystery novel quickly turns into a heart-wrenching story about Christopher’s desire to be understood and to have people that he can trust in his life, who also love him unconditionally. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime shows the reader that even though sometimes our minds work in ways that others cannot relate to, we all want to be understood, even by those who question us when we say what we say and think what we think.

When the story begins, Christopher finds his neighbor’s dog, Wellington, lying dead in …show more content…

Mark Haddon uses the dream to symbolize Christopher’s feelings of isolation and frustration.

Christopher explains that in his dream he “can go anywhere in the world and I know that no one is going to talk to me or touch me or ask me a question. But if I don’t want to go anywhere, I don’t have to, and I can stay at home and eat broccoli and oranges and licorice laces all the time, or I can play computer games for a whole week, or I can just sit in the corner of the room and rub a coin back and forward over the ripple shapes on the surface of the radiator. And I wouldn’t have to go to France.” (Chapter

Show More
Related

  • The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Analysis

    962 Words  | 2 Pages

    The relationship between Christopher and his father is extremely sensitive. One moment Christopher’s father lashes out towards him, and the next moment they visit the zoo together, enjoying each other’s company. Because of the Asperger’s, Christopher prefers to do his own thing without interaction from other people. He especially disgusts anyone telling him what to do. Christopher thinks his father interferes in his life while his father tries to be involved in it as much as possible, causing agony to Christopher. The article The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time states, “Eventually, his father comes to get him, and tells Christopher to not investigate the dog’s death any further.” One could debate that Christopher’s father does

    Read More

  • What Is The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

    628 Words  | 2 Pages

    His reasoning for leaving was justifiable being, “[he] thought [his mom] was dead, but she was still alive. And [his] father lied to [him].And he also killed Wellington,” (Haddon). Christopher's reasoning is definitely valid. But although his reasoning for leaving is valid, his trip was very dangerous and could have ended very badly. Christopher is a minor and has a very young, impressionable mind. Along with him being a young boy, he also has mental disabilities that make it hard for him to communicate with others. This communication barrier is extremely harmful when interacting with strangers. This is very apparent when Christopher is arrested. If someone was there to explain to the policeman why Christopher needs to be handled with care instead of using violent tactics, then Christopher would not have gone to jail. If this could happen on his walk home, then imagine what trouble Christopher could face traveling all the way to

    Read More

  • The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Essay

    799 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon

    741 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • the curious incident of the dog in the night-time

    755 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is best known for its narration from an autistic boy, how it could be changed by a different character, and the impact that a non-autistic narrator could have on the novel. For Curious Incident point of view is one of the most important aspects as it hooks readers from the very beginning. The point of view immediately sets readers for what they can expect. Curious Incident changes how readers feel about first person point of view forever.

    Read More

  • Does The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time Explore The Concept Of Truth

    1773 Words  | 4 Pages

    The novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time explores the concept of truth and lies through the eyes of Christopher, the main character, who has autism. His narrative perspective only allows the reader to understand what his own mind is capable of understanding such as his views on lying, facial

    Read More

  • Essay On The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

    702 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time exhibits real life situations experienced by an autistic, 15-year-old boy, from his own panorama. Christopher’s use of first person perspective ensures that his view on events are explained with accurate, detailed description, enhancing the responders understanding of how the mind of one with Asperger’s syndrome functions. This concept is elaborated on in Christopher’s struggle to become independent as the responder is able to grasp Christopher’s defensive mechanisms to dealing with stressful situations. Christopher narration “so I groaned to make the time pass quicker and not think” during a fit where his tendency to shut down and curl himself into a ball is essentially revealed substantiates his struggle to become independent as his

    Read More

  • The Theme Of Trust In The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nighttime

    960 Words  | 2 Pages

    While trust is a somewhat common theme in modern novels, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime manages to portray how it affects people in their day to day lifestyle. The book tells the story of Christopher Boone a young boy with autism and his murder mystery novel about the murder of his neighbor's dog. Why this novel is significant is because Mark Haddon tells the story that many young people with autism, like Christopher, live everyday and who’s view on life and the idea of trust and understanding of the world is drastically different than any teenager.

    Read More

  • The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

    991 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...though Christopher functions more like a computer than a human, but he possesses the ability to think independently, which over all else represents a human characteristic. No machine can operate efficiently without being instructed and following exact orders. Christopher also needs to be told exactly what to do because the vagueness of common phrases is confusing to him, but knows that people break rules and also knows that he can make decisions for himself. On his journey to find his mother, Christopher makes the decision to break away from all of his rules in order to find her. He is able to go to London against almost all odds, and does so by stepping out of his comfort zone and into a world of uncertainty. Even though he uses computer-like thinking to come to the conclusion of going to his mother, it is his underlying human qualities that make the trip possible.

    Read More

  • Relationships In The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

    874 Words  | 2 Pages

    The biggest reconnection Christopher encounters is with his mother. It begins when he finds a series of letters addressed to him in his father’s closet. Upon reading the letters, he makes the shocking discovery that his mother is alive, not dead, as his father previously tells him. Later, in trying to explain why he hides the truth, his father confesses he kills Wellington. As Christopher comes to these revelations, he immediately decides, “‘I had to go to London to live with Mother.’” (Haddon 131). This is a very powerful example of adapting. Christopher decides on the spot to go live with his mom despite not seeing her for years. The attitude of ‘sudden decisions’ without thinking long and hard about the full outcome is uncommon for him, and yet he comes to this solution in almost no time at all. Also, the wording of the sentence is very specific. He uses the word 'had' instead of 'can', which proves the idea is already set in his mind. As a result, this proves he already trusts his mother and is willing to adjust to go to her. Besides Christopher, his mother also expresses a likewise characteristic of adaptation to renew

    Read More

  • First Person Narration in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night

    648 Words  | 2 Pages

    The curious incident of the dog in the night time was narrated in first person by Christopher Boone however If it was narrated in third person the audience would not have understood the way Christopher was feeling. Communication, Social Interactions, Relationship’s and Christopher’s Autism spectrum disorder were some of the main areas expressed in the novel.

    Read More

  • The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

    1965 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time chronicles of Christopher Boone of Swindon, England. The book is written by Mark Haddon, who formerly worked with autistic individuals, describes the world through the eyes of Christopher, who is self-proclaimed “special needs”. The novel never explicitly says what Christopher’s diagnosis is, but from the text it is apparent that he would fall on the higher functioning end of the Autism Spectrum.

    Read More

  • The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nighttime Analysis

    1385 Words  | 3 Pages

    Mark Haddon’s novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, is an autobiographical murder mystery narrated from the perspective of an autistic teenager, Christopher Boone. Throughout the text, Haddon cleverly positions the audience to experience life through the perspective of one who cannot hope to grasp the subtle nuances of human interactions and societal norms. Christopher’s autism spectrum disorder (ASD) shapes not only what we the audience are able to experience, but also subverts the structural features of the text itself, thereby openly flouting the rules of conventional storytelling. In doing so, Haddon is able to explore everyday settings and events through the perspective of a highly unconventional narrator, thus allowing

    Read More

  • The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time

    971 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Mark Haddon's contemporary novel, "The curious incident of the dog in the Night-Time", the protagonist, Christopher Boone, does seem completely unsuited to narrating a novel, as he takes on his authorial voice, thus demonstrating symptoms of his disability, 'Asperger's Syndrome.' This is a syndrome that enables him to see the world only through his limited perspective, which is closed, frightened and disorientated - which results in his fear of, and inability to understand the perplexing world of people's emotions. His description of events can be somewhat unreliable as he is unable to see the real truths that lie before him. As he narrates, readers are confronted with his peculiarities - whether it is not liking to be touched, his fear of germs, strangers and crowds to his inability to eat foods with particular colors. However, through Christopher's authorial voice, his description of events in his life, and in particular, his description of his oddities those seem completely 'normal' to him, make him an interesting and fascinating narrator. As he can be proven to be an unreliable narrator as he is incapable of lying (and understanding lies) and this limits his ability to perceive the full reality of the world, thus providing him with a strange combination of credibility and unbelievability. Again, this is what makes him a wonderful narrator - at times readers can mistrust his interpretation of such events, or they can believe him.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nighttime

    1709 Words  | 4 Pages

    ‘Once’ there was ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time’ where the two main characters, Felix and Christopher Boone, travelled on their adventures to find their loved ones that were ‘gone’. In this oral I shall be talking about the similarities and differences of both books storylines and then I will begin talking about the similarities and differences in the main characters, exploring the themes and subjects of: Naïve narration, Isolation, Empathy, Tragedy, How the characters think and how they act around other people. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (By Mark Haddon), is a book where the main character Christopher Boone who has autism discovers his neighbour’s dog, lying dead on the ground, he then decides to

    Read More

More about What Is The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nighttime Essay

Open Document