The+Curious+Incident+of+the+Dog+in+the+Night

= __The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time__ =

[[image:http://erinenire.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/curiousincident1.jpg width="150" height="232"]]
= = =Author:=

Mark Haddon
=Nationality/Ethnic Background:= British =Genre and Sub-genres:= Fiction 1st Person Novel Bildungsroman: coming of age through a trial or tough experience Mystery =Pertinent Biographical Information of Mark Haddon:= =Literary Historical Period/Movement and Pertinent Background= =Major Characters, Their Relationships, Their Conflicts= > The book is written as though Christopher was writing it himself, thus allowing readers to see the world the way Christopher does. We are taken through Christopher’s journey to discover who murdered his neighbor Mrs. Shear’s dog, Wellington. We watch as Christopher grows as a character, ultimately inciting change in his surrounding characters, as well. > =Brief Plot Summary= Christopher, a fifteen year - old autistic boy who lives with his father, tells his story in //The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time //. At the beginning of the novel, he stumbles upon the dead body of Wellington, his neighbor's (Mrs. Shears) dog. When the police show up at the scene of the crime, Christopher becomes frightened and ends up hitting an officer. After being released from the police station, Christopher decides to catch Wellington's killer. With the encouragement of Siobhan, a teacher at his school, he also decides to write about his findings in a book. After reading the first few pages of the novel, the reader can see that Christopher is precise and analytical. Throughout his investigation, Christopher quickly finds that people do not like it when others pry into their personal business. Along the way, the reader learns about many of Christopher’s quirks. For example, he hates the colors yellow and brown, he is unable to understand human emotions, he screams when he is angry or confused, he groans, and he doesn't like it when furniture is moved. Christopher's father (Mr. Boone) finds out that Christopher is trying to find Wellington's murderer and tells him to stop playing detective. However, Christopher does not heed his fathers warning and continues to write his book as well. His dad eventually finds the book and becomes extremely angry with Christopher for disobeying him. Mr. Boone hides the book so that Christopher will no longer be able to continue his investigation or record his findings. Christopher decides to search for his book because he does not want to abandon his investigation. While searching for his book, Christopher discovers letters that are addressed to him from his supposedly dead mother. He discovers that his mother is not actually dead, despite the fact that he had been told so by his father for two years. The letters tell Christopher that she is living in London with Mr. Shears. Mr. Boone soon finds that Christopher has been reading the letters. He explains how his wife left suddenly and how he quickly made up the lie that she was dead. He also divulges information about his relationship with Mrs. Shears. Mr. Boone and Mrs. Shears talked for a brief time after their spouses left them yet they soon started arguing. The fights Mr. Boone had with Mrs. Shears led him to murder Wellington in a fit of anger. After learning about his mother and the murder of Wellington, Christopher becomes stricken with fear. He decides that he can no longer trust his father, so he decides to run away in the middle of the night to his mother in London. On his trip, Christopher comes face to face with many of his fears. He navigates his way through train stations and has to enter small, crowded spaces. Eventually, he reaches his mother's house where he is given a warm welcome by his mother. Mr. Shears, on the other hand, is less than pleased to see Christopher. Later that same night, Mr. Boone comes to his ex-wife's home and argues with his wife and Mr. Shears. After Mr. Boone leaves, Christopher stays with his mother for awhile, yet he is upset by the fact that he won't get to take his A level math exam, which he was scheduled to take later in the week. Christopher's mother soon gets fed up with Mr. Shears, who is not very cooperative with Christopher or his mother. Christopher and his mother go back to Swindon, where Christopher's father lives. Christopher is able to take his A level math exam. Christopher's mother rents an apartment where the two live. Christopher slowly begins to trust his father again, especially after his father gives him a puppy. At the end of the novel, Christopher is filled with aspirations of going to university and getting an honors degree. Though his parents are not together and he lives with both of them off and on, Christopher trusts his father more and believes that he can do anything now because he was brave by going to London on his own and writing an entire book.
 * Believes in Atheism and reflected this belief in the main protagonist, Christopher, who states that Christians are stupid for believing in God because believing in God is illogical. Haddon describes himself as a "hard-line atheist," but includes Christian figures in his works, saying "I am atheist in a very religious world."
 * Worked with children and adults that had mental and physical disabilities.
 * After graduating college, worked several small jobs, including one as a live-in volunteer for someone with multiple sclerosis and one at Mencap, the leading charity in the United Kingdom for people with learning disabilities.
 * Postmodernism
 * Authors in this period did not necessarily care about what labels were given to their works. Haddon provides what many do not, straying away from the usual complex and intricate setting and background, and instead provides a complex character, enabling a provocative look into the self, rather than the surroundings and environment.
 * When it was originally published in 2003, //The Curious Incidevggnt of the Dog in the Night-Time// was printed with two different covers in order to appeal to both youth and adult audiences.
 * **Christopher Boone**: Christopher John Francis Boone, the protagonist and narrator of the story, has asburgers syndrome which inhibits him from understanding the world outside of his extreme likes and dislikes. Christopher struggles with understanding human emotion and human tendency to use figurative language amidst conversation. For instance, common jokes and metaphors frustrate Christopher because he doesn’t understand why people don’t just explicitly say what they mean. Due to this discontent, Christopher tends to dislike people because they are confusing and capable of what he perceives as lying. Instead, he relies on concrete ideas and images, like math and science, for stability. When Christopher feels as though his stability is threatened, he often reacts in a violent, unruly manner.
 * **Ed Boone**: Ed Boone is Christopher’s father who became a single parent after his wife walked out on him and Christopher. Ed often struggles handling Christopher’s syndrome and becomes frustrated when he doesn’t understand what Christopher wants. Ed struggles to articulate his emotions which often causes him to lash out and sometimes seem uncaring when in actuality, he loves Christopher very much. Because Ed understands Christopher’s inability to interpret human emotion and reasoning, he chooses to hide his wife’s departure by telling Christopher that she died of a heart attack.
 * **Judy Boone**: Judy Boone, Christopher’s mother and Ed’s wife, has difficulty understanding Christopher’s syndrome and easily becomes irritated with his sporadic behavior and unpredictable outbursts. Her constant frustration puts tension in her relationship with her husband, Ed, and results in a divulging affair with Mr. Shears, a neighbor of the Boone family. The two supposedly fall in love, and Judy Boone decides that it will be better for everyone if she no longer stays with her family. She tries to stay in touch with Christopher even after she has departed, but Ed prevents her from doing so.
 * **Siobhan:** Siobhan is Christopher’s special education teacher who helps Christopher cope with his autism by attempting to teach him how people function both emotionally and physically. Siobhan offers alternative methods to disruptive behavior for Christopher while simultaneously functioning as his mentor.
 * **Roger Shears (Mr. Shears)**: Mr. Shears is the Boone's neighbor who leaves his wife early on in the novel due to his affair with Judy Boone, Christopher's mother.
 * **Eileen Shears (Mrs Shears)**: Mrs. Shears is a neighbor of the Boones and the wife of Mr. Shears. We find that Eileen was a significant part of Ed Boone’s life when Judy Boone and Mr. Shears left. Christopher remembers she often came over to help cook meals or clean the house, attempting to be a comfort to Ed and Christopher.
 * **Mrs Alexander**: Mrs. Alexander is one of Christopher’s neighbors who provides Christopher with information about his parents and the Shears, subsequently aiding his investigation as to who killed Mrs. Shears’s dog. Though Mrs. Alexander is a stranger, Christopher decides to trust her enough to gather information from her that pertains to his investigation.
 * **Wellington**: Wellington is Mrs.Shear’s large, black poodle that Christopher finds dead in Shears’s front yard.
 * **Reverend Peters**: Reverend Peters is a minister at Christopher’s local church and the proctor for Christopher's math test.
 * **Toby**: Toby is Christopher's aging pet and one of his only friends whom Christopher brings along during his investigation. In addition, during his escape to London, Christopher brings Toby as his companion.

=Motifs (Recurring Images, Ideas, Figures of Speech, Symbols, Colors) & Their Thematic Significance=

__Mathematic Motifs__
Christopher likes math as an escape from the social world because it is something that he can do independently. It had clear and definite meaning for him. Math is his only reliable source of information and intimacy he has. Christopher needs math to make up for his social inadequacies. He relates his own conflicts to math, which helps him to form a solution and create order in any situation. Themes: There is a difference between social intelligence and "book smarts." People use pleasures to take their minds off unpleasant topics and experiences.
 * **Prime Numbers** appear throughout the novel as all the chapter numbers are prime, and Christopher is obsessed with them. He claims to know “every prime number up to 7,057” (p. 2), explains how to determine prime numbers (p. 11), and says, “prime numbers are what is left when you have taken all the patterns away. I think prime numbers are like life. They are very logical but you could never work out the rules, even if you spent all your time thinking about them” (p. 12).
 * The **A-Level Math test** is a difficult test that only special, intelligent students take, and it represents Christopher making progress and overcoming the cruelties of society. It shows his superiority in a subject, ability to function in life, and ability to behave like a normal student, despite his disabilities.
 * Christopher uses **math as a distraction** from his unpleasant surroundings as a way to calm himself down and escape from the world. He can always count on math to clear his head and distract himself because, unlike everyday life, he completely understands math, no matter how complex the problem. He is often found doubling numbers in his head, thinking about squaring numbers, or philosophizing about math to avoid emotionally managing with his situation.
 * **Puzzles**: Christopher continuously challenges himself with puzzles like Conway's Soldiers and 100 Number Puzzles. He even carries around a puzzle piece in his pocket, symbolizing his puzzling life. In addition, he compares the murder mystery of the novel to one large puzzle. For Christopher, puzzles are personal, stimulating intellectual challenges.

__Scientific Motifs__

 * **The Supernatural **: Christopher knocks religion, God, and any supernatural beings several times. He is disbelieving in any religion because he cannot logically make sense of any Biblical cla im with math or science. Biblical allusions in the novel contrast Christopher’s concrete idea of truth. The motif of the supernatural leads to the theme that humans cannot make order of what they don’t understand, and that humans desire to make order in life.
 * **Computers & Machines**: Christopher compares his mind to a machine and the events in his life to computers. He uses these comparisons because talking about a machine makes it easier for him to explain what is going on in his mind. When he is bombarded with the idea of a new place or new images, he resolves to feeling like a computer crashing, the only way he can describe his feelings (p.143). He uses this distant comparison to communicate the theme that humans and life can be overwhelming at times and are difficult to understand. The reader also observes the theme that humans search for stability, as Christopher seeks to live like computer games, which have a stabilized, controlled environment in which there are set outcomes and logarithms to determine game play and events.
 * **Scientific Discoveries & Explanations**: Christopher is interested in current scientific issues and the reasons behind science, showing his value of concrete facts and his tendency to thoroughly explain abstract and complicated ideas. His consideration for scientific discoveries reveals the theme that humans can be optimistic about life if they do not take facts for granted.
 * **Outer Space**: Christopher is fascinated by outer space, stars, and space exploration (ex. the Apollo Space Missions). Christopher enjoys imagining the stars because they give him a sense of the world and his role in it. He finds his identity through realizing that he is insignificant compared to the vast outer space world, an idea that can be translated to any one. He also appreciates the starry sky because it is something "you can work out in your own mind just by looking at the sky above your head at night and thinking without having to ask anyone," demonstrating the human struggle for independence (p. 10).

**__Sensory Motfis__**

 * **Violence**: Christopher relies on his Swiss Army Knife for a sense of security because he often becomes scared of his surroundings and doesn't know how to react except with violence. He also hits his mother and breaks her toes when he did not know how/did not want to cope with an unfortunate situation. The violence and knife in the novel lead to the themes that violence can be caused by simple misunderstandings, violence ironically helps us feel safe, and humans often don't know what can make us calm (unlike Christopher).
 * **Small spaces**: Christopher often retreats to little spaces where he can be alone, such as an airing cupboard or shelves in a train. The solitude illustrates the theme that sometimes humans like to be alone, and other times not. By being alone, Christopher can feel safe, think clearly, and be calm. Hiding in small spaces also allows him to feel independent, translating to the theme that humans want to be independent.
 * **Yellow**: Christopher hates the color yellow and will refuse anything of the color. For him, it symbolizes trouble and confusion. He rationalizes his hatred with a decision-making model. Despite his best attempts, he continuously comes in contact with yellow and eventually begins to learn to cope with its presence. His reaction to yellow communicates the theme that we are influenced by superstitions and that humans use decision-making methods to simplify life and create order.
 * **Red**: Red is a symbol of happiness and peace for Christopher. He allows the color to define his days and actions and believes that this logic works for others too. This value of red enforces the theme that humans attempt to create order and meaning out of everything in life.
 * Brown: brown was another color that was good for christopher.

__**Other Motifs**__
=Other Significant Thematic Elements (Significant Character's Names, Significant Quotations, Significant Actions/Events)= > "Christopher, I'm really, really sorry. About everything. About Wellington. About the letters. About making you run away. I never meant..." (p.197). This is when Christopher's father finally gets the chance to apologize to Christopher. He realizes his wrong and is very willing to apologize to his son. Thus, he shows that we all have personal problems and handicaps we must overcome.
 * **Mysteries**: In addition to the novel being a murder mystery story, Christopher discusses Sherlock Holmes and his mysteries several times. He identifies with the archetype of a detective because he is very observant and takes in all the little details, presenting the them that humans will amalgamate facts of an event to give them order, no matter how disconnected.
 * **Christophers' head hurting: His head hurts when he thinks about lies, or when he thinks about the future. These different times when his head hurts shows the predicaments that everyone goes through and because he has asburgers, he cannot handle it.**
 * **Uniformed Personnel**: Christopher appreciates uniformed persons, such as policemen, military, and CIA agents. He likes the idea of uniforms to clearly indicate someone's purpose and to create order with institutions. This satisfaction with uniformed personnel indicates the theme that humans desire structure in life.
 * **Dreams**: Despite his disabilities, Christopher frequently discusses his dreams to be an astronaut and succeed in other areas of his life. His determination throughout the novel presents the theme that humans like to have big dreams and that it's okay to have big dreams because they lead to great places, despite the difficulties they create.
 * **Lies/Truth/Honesty**: Christopher highly values the truth. In fact, he claims that he cannot lie at all and wants those who lie to go to be prison. He struggles with the fact that his disorder causes people to bend their view of what is true and not. Honesty in the novel leads to the themes that humans value truth and must cope with the difference between appearance and reality and that all humans lie at times, even if they are convinced that their type of lying isn't morally wrong.
 * **Cursing/Frustration**: Adults, unsure of how to manage themselves when interacting with Christopher, often curse and become very frustrated. Similarly, Christopher is offensive towards "all the other [stupid] children" (p. 43). Society generally does not understand children with special needs, does not have patience for people who are different, and assumes that all people are normal and should act a certain way. Alternatively, the idea of frustration communicates the theme that we all have special needs. His parents' frustration also shows the theme that parents of children with special needs struggle.
 * **Animals**: Animals are present in the novel with Christopher's companion, Toby the rat, Wellington the murdered dog, and a new dog at the end of the story. Toby is the only character that Christopher can trust and relate to. While the murdered dog represents confusion and conflict, the new dog is a symbol of new life and new chances for Christopher and his father. The interaction with animals sends the message that humans can often relate to and rely on animals better than other humans.
 * **Feelings & Detachment**: From the first few pages, Christopher admits that he cannot understand emotions, feelings, or even expressions. He is harsh and unsympathetic towards others, often misunderstanding their feelings. In addition, he emotionally separates himself from situations (ex. he talks about his "dead mother" as if he had no relationship to her; he discusses the world ending as if it was a trivial circumstance) with a detached tone. These difficulties with identifying emotions shows the theme that each individual copes with emotion a different way, and that we can separate ourselves from an emotionally-wrenching situation to cope with it better.
 * "I think that people believe in heaven because they don't like the idea of dying, because they want to carry on living and they don't like the idea that other people will move into their house and put their things into the rubbish" (p. 33). Christopher talks about the human behavior of belief in an afterlife. He is detached, as usual, and claims that people only believe in heaven because they worry about their future. This idea relates directly to the theme that all humans worry about the future. Also, the fact that Christopher uses a logical approach, as usual, to attempt to pin down complex ideas and emotions relates to the theme that humans desire order and structure in a chaotic world.
 * "I will get a lady to marry me and be my wife and she can look after me so I can have company and not be on my own" (p. 45). This quote from Christopher shows that even he, who talks about going into outer space completely alone, looks for order and worries about the future. Even though he does not relate to others very well, he wants to ensure his well being in the future. He's worried about it, so he's creating imaginary solutions. Furthermore, Christopher is planning ahead so he has order in his future, so this also relates back to the theme that humans desire order.
 * "Mother hit me sometimes because she was a very hot-tempered person" (p. 82). Christopher observes one of his mother's faults. She could not handle her situation, and she was often quick to anger. Thus, she demonstrates the theme that we all have personal problems we must overcome. Just as Christopher has his issues, so does his mother.
 * "but it is a good maths problem to do in your head when you don't want to think about something else because you can make it as complicated as you need to fill your brain..." (p. 148). Christopher is sitting inside a very crowded train station, overwhelmed by the abundance of activity. Everything is chaotic and out of order. So, to make sense of it, Christopher does a math problem (math motif) to calm down. Christopher continually uses math problems as a means of calming down because he can order and make sense of them, unlike the real world. Thus, Christopher's math problem reveals the theme that humans desire to create order in a chaotic world.
 * The name Christopher, meaning "carrying Christ," is significant. The biblical Saint Christopher was given this name because he carried Christ across a river. In the novel, Judy Boone tells Christopher that his name means being kind and helpful. However, Christopher doesn't want his name to be about someone being kind and helpful. He wants his name to be unique to him. Chris wanting a unique name for himself represents his trying to create order in life and an identity for himself. Thus, his name relates to the theme that humans desire order and structure in a chaotic world.

=Major Themes=
 * One theme that resurfaces throughout the novel is that **we all have personal problems and handicaps that we must overcome.** Throughout the novel, Christopher constantly struggles with the symptoms of his autism. He overcomes many of his issues in order to find Wellington's killer and get to London to see his mother. Christopher leaves the safety of his home and navigates his way through crowded train stations. In addition, Christopher's father has to overcome his personal problems with his ex-wife and his son. Mr. Boone ultimately tells Christopher the truth about his mother and Wellington but is able to regain his trust by the end of the novel.
 * Another theme is **the desire for humans to create order and structure in a chaotic world**. For example, Christopher understands math problems because they have definite answers and he can use logic to solve them. In addition, he uses pictures of people's faces to try to understand complex human emotions. Christopher creates rules for himself in order to keep his world structured as well.
 * Another important theme is that **our actions are more important than our words.** For example, Christopher’s father is angry with his ex-wife for leaving them. He defends himself by pointing out that all she did was write some letters, while he cared for Christopher, cooked his meals, clothed him, and loved him. The acts Christopher’s dad performed for him were much more important than the letters his mother wrote.
 * **The fact that all humans worry about the future is another theme that resurfaces throughout the novel.** We all, at some time or another, worry about what is to come – will we have enough money, food – will our job be secure – will our spouse remain faithful? Christopher too, worries about the future. When he does think about the future, his head hurts. However, Siobhan (his teacher) tells him to focus only on the present, for that is all he can control at the time. We should all try to follow Siobhan’s advice and worry less about the future and more about the present. We can only take things one step at a time and should just enjoy the good things that happen in our lives as they come.
 * Another theme that comes up often throughout the novel is that **lying is often easier than telling the truth; we often lie when the truth seems too painful.** For example, Mr. Boone lies to Christopher about his mother. Mr. Boone did not want to have to explain how his wife left them for another man. Instead, Mr. Boone created the lie that she had died. when christopher thinks about lies however, his head also hurts, because there are to many possibilities for lies.
 * Throughout the novel, we also see how **trust is absolutely necessary for relationships to succeed.** When Christopher learns that his father killed Wellington, he no longer trusts him and decides to run away. Christopher’s father has to earn his son’s trust back, which he does by the end of the novel. Mr. Boone tells Christopher that he would never hurt him. He also gives Christopher a puppy to apologize for killing Wellington.

=Sources=
 * Photo: http://erinenire.wordpress.com/tag/curious-incident-of-the-dog-in-the-night-time/
 * Biographical Information: [], []

This inhibits him from understanding the world outside of his absolutes.