Regret is a feeling of sadness, repentance or disappointment over something that has happened or been done. Regret is a part of life that everyone has to struggle with at some point. In the book, The Curious Incident of the Dog and the Nighttime, Mark Haddon displays the topic of regret in the emotions of anger, sadness, and a wish for forgiveness; in reality regret is shown through apologies.
In the novel, Mark Haddon displays the topic of regret through a character’s anger. An example is whenever Christopher mentions his book in front of his father. His father states, “You are to stop this ridiculous bloody detective game right now” (Haddon 50). This comments on the topic because Christopher’s father becomes infuriated …show more content…
An example of this is Christopher’s mother’s letters. She becomes sad about her decision to leave and shows grief. Haddon comments on regret when Christopher’s mother breaks down as she discovers what her husband did. The novel states, “And then she made a loud wailing noise” (Haddon 193). This instance goes along with the topic because Christopher’s mother feels responsible for what happened and reacts with sadness. Haddon uses forgiveness to comment on the topic when Christopher’s father is in London and raises his fingers in a fan. This shows regret because he feels guilty and wants to go back to normal. Haddon uses emotions to comment on regret, but outside the book, the topic is presented through apologies.
In reality, regret is shown through apologies. One instance of this is when someone in the public eye makes a public apology. An example is when president Kennedy made a public apology about the Bay of Pigs Invasion. His apology shows regret because Kennedy showed that he knew he did something wrong. In the real world, the topic is shown through apologies because apologies show an understanding of what went