Dog In The Night-Time

“’Original and affecting,’ said The New Yorker. ‘Clever and observant,’ gushed The Washington Post. ‘Funny, sad, and totally convincing,” added Time” (Moss 1). All these statements are pertaining to the riveting novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. First of all, this story recounts the tale of Christopher Boone, who suffers from autism through his own point of view. Christopher lives with his father, because he thought his mother had died, however his father lied. Christopher’s mother actually left Christopher and his father. Christopher struggles to be proud of himself due to his disability, which results in him wanting to take his A level math test. After Christopher finds out the truth about his mother,
he runs away from his home to live with her, distrusting his father. However, this threatens Christopher’s opportunity to take his A level test and prove his self-worth. In conclusion the author uses multiple literary devices, including: Symbols, Themes, Conflicts, Characters, and Motifs.
First, In The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Christopher’s A level math test represents Christopher being gratified himself and proving his intelligence.
For instance, the whole reason Christopher chose to take the high level test was to establish his intelligence to everyone in his life. Christopher had been told his whole life by teachers and peers that he would never be advanced because he is handicapped. He needed to prove his self-worth to everyone. When Christopher’s opportunity was almost lost he started to become frustrated and angry. This symbol shows how much other opinions do affect Christopher, even though he contain minimal
emotions.
Secondly, the overall theme conveyed in the novel is a struggle for independence. Although Christopher suffers from autism, he wants to be independent and become able to support himself eventually.). Even though Christopher desires to be on his own, this statement confirms that Christopher will not be completely independent. However, the most substantial part of being independent to Christopher is no longer following the rules enforced by someone other than himself. It is not always that Christopher wants to counter authority, it is the fact that he cannot comprehend others. This makes it simple for him to slightly disobey. In Christopher’s mind, he conveys what he is told exactly word for word. Since Christopher comprehends this way, the result is him telling white lies and going against his father’s wishes. His whole investigation of Wellington gained him some independence. As Christopher continues his lies and desire to close the case, his confidence and independence grows. Next, the main conflict of the book is all the lies Christopher’s father told him and how they all unravel.
Christopher’s entire relationship with his father is based on honesty. Cristopher believes that love is measured by the truth. Since his father tells Christopher the truth, Christopher trusts his father to care for him and love him. However, Christopher pieces together what exactly happened to his mother, which resulted in Christopher becoming scared of his father. Christopher believes that his father does not love him anymore and could possibly hurt him. As a result, Christopher acts drastically and leaves attempting to find his mother. He does not take time to consider that she left for a reason. Christopher’s mother could not contain her anger and did not know how to handle Christopher on his “bad days”. Christopher’s mother’s abandonment snowballed into an even larger conflict which dragged his father in too. Christopher’s actions are understandable since he did not know the whole story. Anyone in his situation with his condition would react the same. These actions and Christopher’s reaction make the reader connect to the main
character.
Overall, Christopher and his father have a rather unconventional relationship. Because of Christopher’s incapability to feel emotion impacts their relationship. This does not mean his father loves him any less or that Christopher does not love his father. It is the fact that Christopher does not like being touched and does not connect the same way as others. They still show affection in alternative ways. Not everyone shows the same affection. A simple hug is just a common way to show affection that does not mean it is correct. People can connect in various ways. When Christopher replies this way it is implied that he truly does not understand love. Christopher believes love as caring for someone which is only part of the definition.
Lastly, Haddon’s motif of frustration with Christopher demonstrates not only Christopher’s personal difficulty, but other’s dilemma with Christopher himself. At one point or another, every character in the novel becomes irritated by Christopher, because no one truly understands Christopher. He takes statements quite literally which fuels anger and frustration with him. Even Christopher’s own parents became flustered with him throughout the novel. This led to his inability to form healthy relationships and connect on an emotional level with others. Since Christopher was put down by the people closest to him, it goes to show why he acts the way he does. For instance, when Christopher tries to go off on his own investigating Wellington’s death his father lashes out with. Later the reader finds out that the real reason Christopher’s father told him to drop the topic was because his father was the one who killed Wellington. His father killed Wellington because he felt Mrs. Shears, his female partner, cared for the dog more than Christopher’s father and Christopher. Christopher’s father had inflicted his guilt and anger onto Christopher. Most of the frustration with Christopher was due to reasons that did not involve him. Gender roles are reversed in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time in the fact that Christopher’s father takes on the role of a mother. A feminist would find this empowering, because they want to be equal to men entirely. Christopher’s father takes care of Christopher on his own since his mother left him. The average gender roles are reversed, usually it is the father who leaves, because women are “supposed” to care for children and cook the meals. This gives the story a more modern spin. Now that men and women can do the same things and are equal. This is proof that average gender roles are not always the case.
In conclusion, Haddon uses literary devices, like: symbols, themes, conflicts, characters, and motifs to further develop his story. By analyzing the story further understanding was accomplished. The story shines a light on autism. Christopher’s character, “challenges, but also revolutionary in what it means to live with autism” (Miller 2). This novel relates to youth and adults, while conveying a clear message.