The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time Essay

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Throughout the novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon, emotions are the most challenging problems of all for Christopher. However, beyond the drama of Christopher’s crises involving feeling, or interaction with other people, we glimpse a more general idea – that dealing with people and feelings is difficult. Discuss in relation to the themes and characters of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.

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 …show more content…
The most engaging aspects of Christopher's narrative include his specific reference to things usually taken for granted. A highly observant boy, he points out features that are seldom noticed or considered by other people, and through this the readership learns of his inability to comprehend complex emotions, as he is 'unable to say what these meant' and people's motives. He finds people confusing for simply two reasons, because 'people do a lot of talking without any words', and because 'people often talk using metaphors', therefore he trusts and takes literally everything he is told, such as the untimely death of his mother, or even metaphors, as it occurs when you 'describe something by using a words for something that it isn't' which in turn conflicts with his inability to lie. His innocence of people's intentions described through his non-empathetic voice make him an interesting narrator as readers are put into a world that he sees as 'normal'. Readers get an insight into his world through his narration, and would learn about his personality, which differs significantly in comparison to other narrators we may perceive as 'normal'. What makes Christopher an intriguing narrator is that in order to discover the truth; he has to confront some of these fears. His descriptions of his ordeal turn him into a rather wonderful narrator.
As the novel progresses, we learn that because of his idiosyncrasies, readers are presented
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