How Is Christopher Aversion To Being Touched, He Is Dependent On Other People

‘Despite’ Christopher aversion to being touched, he is dependent on other people’. Do you agree?
In Mark Haddon’s novel, “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time”, the protagonist and narrator, Christopher John Francis Boone, faces challenges in which he is dependent on other people to help him. Throughout the novel Haddon shows us he is mainly depended on his close ‘support network’ of family and friends who guide him on how to behave and interact with others. Christopher is also reliant on strangers during his journey to London to help him navigate the underground. However towards the end of the novel Christopher grows as a person, gains maturity and is much more independent. This maturity and independence is gained from the help of others.
Throughout the course of the novel Haddon shows us how Christopher is reliant of his support network which includes his father Ed Boone and Siobhan to function on a day to day basis.
Christopher is constantly relying on them to provide him with advice and guidance on how to behave appropriately and basic needs such as food, water and transportation. He is constantly told by Siobhan not to use ‘words such as spaz’ when referring to other people as it may hurt their feelings. He is also told by Siobhan not to ‘hit other children’ as it is unacceptable. Haddon shows us Christopher needs this social guidance as well as guidance on understanding others in unfamiliar situations. When Christopher is taken into the police station he is dependent on his father to interpret and help him understand what the police are asking of him. This is evident as the policeman said ‘ I have spoken to your father’ indicating that Christopher’s father has already explained Christopher’s situation to them, as they are strangers and would not know of Christopher’s
disability.
On Christopher’s journey to London he was dependant on many strangers and would not have been able to reach London without their support and guidance. Haddon illustrates how Christopher repels and feels threatened by anyone who touches him when trying to assist him but takes the assistance offered by those who act in a similar way to his support network. When a policeman asks Christopher ‘how (you) he is (are)’ and respects Christopher’s wishes to not be touched. He helps Christopher by talking him to a ticket machine. Christopher is also dependant on others to be aware of his surroundings. This is evident as Christopher jumped right onto the tracks and a man shouted ‘Get out of there’ and then proceeded to save him from the oncoming train. Christopher is dependent on others in many aspects of life but towards the end of the novel we see Christopher change, grow and become more independent.
Towards the end of the novel Haddon shows us Christopher has grown as a person and is less dependent on others. Christopher achieves this by using certain tactics such as routine, maps and diagrams. Haddon shows how Christopher’s mind works and operates. This is evident when Christopher visualised his toy train set to work out how to navigate his way in the underground. On another occasion he made the link between his own daily timetable in order to read and understand the train timetable. Because of Christopher’s journey to London he gained independence and confidence which helped him grow as a person and become less dependent on others.
Throughout the novel we see Christopher face many challenges in which he is dependent on others to assist him. He relies on his support network for his basic day to day needs and guidance on how to behave. On his journey to London he dependent on strangers to help direct him. Although towards the end of the novel we see that Christopher has grown as a person and has mechanisms in place to help him cope in today’s society. Ultimately Haddon is illustrating how Christopher has changed throughout the novel and how he has become more independent person, but also showing he achieved this independence with help from others.