Final Draft Research Paper
The Importance of Perception in Mark Haddon’s, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the
Night-time
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon tells the tale of a
fifteen-year-old autistic kid who struggles to grasp a number of issues. Because Christopher
Boone is the only character who tells the narrative, his understanding of good and wrong is less
complex than could be predicted from a teenage kid. The reader accompanies Christopher on his
trip as Haddon's novel explores issues of both goodness and wickedness with a focus on
children. The function of a narrator with special needs will be examined in this article, as well as
how their perspective impacts the bourgeois morality of the tale.
Because Christopher has autism, the narrator's position in this story is clearly distinct from other
stories'. Autism is characterized by changes in the subcortical structures and intellect that trigger
an individual to conduct or interact in unique ways, according to Health Canada. Healthcare
Canada By applying this criteria, we can see how Christopher distinguished himself from other
kids his age by offering a special viewpoint on life. The reader discovers that Christopher is
intelligent and particularly skilled in math. Protagonists frequently have advantages in addition
to a certain kind of incapacity, claims Mary Anne Prater.
Math ability remained the greatest often mentioned competence. (54) He has numerous friends
his age and is unable to establish stable connections because of his autism. It doesn't,
nevertheless, stop him from wanting to demonstrate his brilliance. Because of their difficulties
with a particular component of a topic, he thinks that everyone has some variant of a cognitive
impairment. He does not regard himself in such a manner. "I'm going to demonstrate that I'm not
a fool. I'm going to take my math A level next month, and I'm going to score an A.
As he grows into a grownup, he intends to go to college as well. Christopher is a driven and
brilliant young man who, in spite of his interpersonal and verbal impairment, provides
opportunity to a frequently underestimated group of people in civilization. Since they are riddles,
Christopher particularly likes the stories of Sherlock Holmes. He could resolve many situations
utilizing rationality, but he is unable to grasp the nuances linked to feelings.Because of their
similar passion in resolving mysteries, he finds a buddy in Holmes. There is a link that
Christopher's real life lacks.
Haddon just gives one perspective in his whole work. So, in order to comprehend what is
happening, the audience needs gather more details along the route. They are coaxed into
understanding Chris' difficulties and feeling genuine pity and compassion for him. A written
work will be seen by viewers with blind bias. They can bring their virtue signaling viewpoint to
the task since they have predetermined notions when they participate. The story is glamourized
when we frequently search for the ideas with which we share or do not share.
Haddon wrote this book with a younger readership in mind, therefore there must be relevant
components. Youngsters rely on their own unique books for confirmation and clarification,
according to Goldreich. They have faith in the authors of their books. [...] Well-written novels
about delicate issues have a significant influence on young learners. (20) Haddon instructs his
readers by narrating from Christopher's viewpoint and giving him a way to interact and
communicate difficulty as they accompany his protagonist's struggles and triumphs in traversing
an universe of feeling that he is unable to grasp. Several different situations are covered in The
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Christopher needs everything to be made as
simple as possible since he cannot grasp the finer elements of social relationships. Chris' initial
reaction is to scoop up and spend time with the deceased dog he finds in his neighbor's front
yard, Wellington. As a result, he bleeds all over himself. His neighbor phones the police, who
subsequently take him into custody because she thinks he killed her cat. From his perspective, he
has done nothing wrong and has, to the best of his abilities, given the police the truth. He is
actually unable to lie, as Christopher reveals when he says, "I do not tell falsehoods. My mother
used to claim that I was a wonderful person and that was why. It's not, though, because I'm a
decent guy. It's because I'm not a liar. (19 Haddon) Haddon introduces a youngster who is
incapable of lying but who realizes that it is bad early in the narrative. This is due to
Christopher's reliance on informational facts. He finds it too upsetting to pretend or fantasize,
therefore he won't. Christopher's passion for mathematics helps him mitigate his trouble adhering
to social conventions. Because there are no clear-cut conclusions in life, math was not like life,
the author explains why this topic is his haven. Haddon He requires extra time to comprehend
the material since his mind is a machine.
Haddon pulls this out by means of the discussion among the police officer and Christopher,
revealing to the reader that Christopher does comprehend the line between right and wrong.. He
is conscious and perceptive even if his comprehension of events differs from that of a person
without autism. He remembers apparently inconsequential information and draws contradictory
results regarding some subjects, such as his mother's purported passing. His mother had died and
gone to paradise, according to a teacher at his school. In accordance with his rational analysis of
the problem, Christopher offers the reader a different interpretation of where paradise may be.
Yet Christopher thinks about what he thinks are more practical alternatives to paradise. He makes
use of the facts his father has provided to apply his ideas on cremation. "But Mother was
cremated," Christopher says in his argument. When I gaze up at the sky, I occasionally believe
that Mother's molecules are in the clouds above Africa or the Antarctic, or falling down as rain in
the Brazilian jungles, or in the snow someplace. (44) Haddon He reacts to the news of his
mother's passing and cremation in a very cold manner. Haddon addresses a subject that would be
upsetting for any other youngster, but not for Christopher. Haddon addresses a subject that would
be upsetting for any other youngster, but not for Christopher. As a result of his faith in his father,
he accepts what is said and concentrates on the aspects of his life that are significant to him, such
as video games, arithmetic, and figuring out who killed Wellington.
By using the father's actions and Christopher's response, Haddon amply illustrates the distinction
among right and wrong as the narrative comes to a close. The idea of good and evil has to be
emphasized because this novel is aimed at youngsters. Christopher's trust is destroyed by one
falsehood, and the father suffers the repercussions. We'll examine the parent after briefly
concentrating on the representation of the incorrect. Christopher has always been the person this
man has felt the closest to. He struggles to provide his kid the opportunity to demonstrate his
brilliance through the mathematics test since he is aware of what Christopher needs and is
proficient in network topologies. "Papa indicated that he would pay someone fifty bucks to do it
after school, and he wasn't going to take no for an answer," says Christopher in reference to the
conversation between his father and the principal over a moderator for the exam. (45) Haddon
The father has been highly active in Christopher's life and sensitive to his needs up to this point
in the tale. He is an excellent dad and great inspiration in this regard. Yet when Christopher
learns that the individual he believed was telling the truth lied, this impression is significantly
altered.
Christopher discovers a box full of letters that his father had concealed from him—letters from
his purportedly deceased mother. Realizing that his father had lied to him causes his entire world
to disintegrate. In an effort to protect him psychologically from the hurt of his father's betrayal
over his mother's affair and subsequent departure, she told him a falsehood. Chris is forced to
flee for his life after finding that his father killed the neighbor's dog out of concern for his safety.
Christopher starts making plans for a getaway as his father confesses to being guilty. "I needed to
leave the house. Dad had killed Wellington. It implied that despite what he had claimed, he might
kill me since I couldn't put my trust in him. Haddon made it quite apparent that lying has
repercussions. Since Christopher can not comprehend the depth of his father's decision to lie to
him, he is driven to behave in extreme ways. He starts looking for his mother as their
relationship appears to be permanently destroyed.
Christopher believes that simple things best represent what is right in the world. He considers
routine, mathematics, silence, and solitude to be essential components of happiness. As emotions
are difficult to understand, he uses logic to fill in the gaps. He strikes a balance between his
logical deductions and his perplexity about feelings. He flees inside and yells till he calms down
when things get too much for him to bear. According to Christopher, having order and rationality
are necessary for happiness, as seen by his definition of a good day. Although the reader may not
find the illustration of the red and yellow automobiles to be rational, it does provide
understanding into his thought process. "Why do three red cars in a row make it a good day, and
five red cars make it quite a good day, and why do four yellow vehicles in a row create a super
good day, and why do four yellow cars in a row make it a black day?" the guidance counselor
queries. 24 Haddon He likes everything to be in a tidy order, Christopher replies. And logical
reasoning was one method of keeping things in excellent order. Particularly if they involved
figures or an argument. 24 Haddon Once more, Haddon presents an alternative interpretation of
what a youngster with autism holds up as being admirable.
Dyches and Prater state that "authors of children's and teen literature frequently incorporate
characters with impairments in their works. In the past, writers have employed disabled people as
literary allegories or as crucial figures in the moral growth of other characters. (47) Haddon
irritates the reader by limiting his narrator's capacity for speech, much as the other characters in
the novel are done in by Christopher's actions. His daily internal discourse and thought process
are hidden from his parents, teachers, and neighbors. Anybody that wouldn't typically have a
voice now does so thanks to this limitation. Because their kid cannot express the emotions and
sentiments that they are accustomed with, they are always disturbed by his conduct. Yet, through
following Christopher's thinking cycle, the audience will be able to comprehend the motivations
behind his actions. The various ways Haddon employs to make the reader like Christopher is to
demonstrate how diligently he goes about obtaining facts yet is surprised to discover mysterious
strong connections among the defendants. (Null and Alfred 106) If the helping people in the
book only comprehend Christopher's protocols of conversation, life might be a lot simpler for
them.
After Christopher flees, Christopher's parents are forced to confront the repercussions of their
actions. Because of the falsehoods regarding his mother's passing and the dog he killed, his
father has lost Christopher's confidence. His mother discovers that her abandonment of her duty
to her son has had an impact on the people in his life and pushed him to act in extreme ways. For
young audiences, the concept of running away is relevant. Youngsters are now discovering ways
to handle their thoughts, hone their communication abilities, and behave like adults. Nonetheless,
they will act out how they feel when they are faced with a circumstance they may comprehend or
when they are totally drained. They will shout or cry out in frustration until they are worn out. If
they are depressed, they will look for shelter and warmth. If a young kid is extremely stressed,
they often consider bolting somewhere. Christopher is acting just like a little child in anguish
might in this circumstance. He views leaving his house as an attempt to protect himself rather
than resistance. He faces a lot of fear during his journey on the train and when he finally arrives
in London to live with his mother, but he manages to do it on his own. Thus, Christopher's
journey constitutes a rite of passage. Every adolescent has a time of resistance and rebellion as
they push the boundaries. "Christopher steadily acquires confidence as he looks for the adult
identity he will inhabit, traveling to London by himself and publishing a book about his travels."
(Null and Alfred 107) The reader may notice a shift in his demeanor as he is consistently pushed
outside of his normal routine. He shows how his life has changed throughout the novel by taking
this journey alone, exploring novel experiences even if they scare him, and using what he has
learned to regulate his feelings.
To influence their viewers, narratives depend on perspective. In Haddon's book, Christopher is a
constrained speaker, and the reader can only access his view of events. He is in charge of the
story's tenor, meaning, and course. The reader gets a peek of what an autistic person's mental
system may be like. Haddon offers a voice to a person who was previously unheard in society.
Christopher is very educated and meticulous. He picks up additional abilities as the plot develops
and approaches his own problems head-on. As far as Christopher is concerned, the narrative
makes it quite apparent what is right and wrong. During the course of the book, perception,
although from a different source, evolves. At the end, he has a different understanding of his
father, the neighbor's husband whom his mother fled with, as well as himself. Haddon used
Christopher's autism as a plot device to alter the actions of other individuals. His decision to flee
made his parents realize that they were both at fault—his mother for abandoning him in the first
place and his father for lying.
Haddon closes the book with optimism and Christopher's confidence in himself: "I know I can do
this because I traveled to London independently and since I investigated the Wellington detective
story. I was brave, I discovered my mother, I published a book, and those things show that I am
capable of anything. (221) From the Christopher we first meet at the beginning of the novel, this
is a striking departure. Consequently, despite the narrator's particular requirements, the moral of
the narrative is unimpeded, and the reader may be able to take something away from the movie's
straightforward presentation of Christopher Boone.
References
Alfred, Suellen, and Linda Null. “A Mind with a View.” The English Journal, vol. 95, no. 4,
2006, pp. 105–107., www.jstor.org/stable/30047100
Canada, Public Health Agency of. "About autism spectrum disorder (ASD)." Canada.ca.
Government of Canada, 15 Apr. 2016. Web. 08 Apr. 2017. <https://www.canada.ca/en/public-
health/services/diseases/autism-spectrum-disorder-asd/about-autism-spectrum-disorder-
asd.html>.
Goldreich, Gloria. “What Is Death? The Answers in Children's Books.” The Hastings Center
Report, vol. 7, no. 3, 1977, pp. 18–20., www.jstor.org/stable/3560686.
Haddon, Mark. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. Toronto: Anchor Canada,
2003. Print.
Prater, Mary Anne. “Learning Disabilities in Children's and Adolescent Literature: How Are
Characters Portrayed?” Learning Disability Quarterly, vol. 26, no. 1, 2003, pp. 47–62.,
www.jstor.org/stable/1593684.
