Let's Begin!

Let's begin dissecting our novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time!  I hope we can bring in more viewers, and start discussions that guide us through this novel by Mark Haddon.  Assuming that many of you have begun reading the text I am going to go ahead and jump right in our conversations. 

When reading this novel there are many important factors one needs to examine.  First, I want us to focus on the Autism Community..."Who does the community consist of?", "Why is it that not everyone thinks the same within the community?", "How does one begin to understand those who have these traits?"  When referring to the Autism Community, I am discussing not only those who have Autism, but also their parents, counselors, and friends.  One may think that the only person who deals with these mannerisms are those who actually have the 'disability' but it is everyone they come in contact with...everyone has a play in these roles.  

On pages 45-48, Christopher describes his "Behavioral Problems" and the effect they had on his parents and their marriage.  What do you believe is the effect of the dispassionate style in which he relates this information?  Because one has to consider how Christopher reacts to emotions.  Imagine every emotion being a new journey.  It is hard for him to not only recognize these 'problems', but also simple attributes we don't even notice like the art of sarcasm and lying.  These are traits that many of us perform daily, however, they are traits that are earth shattering for Christopher.  I believe it is because of the difficulty behind such simple traits that make it difficult for 'normal' people to understand Autism.

The only reason behind Christopher's "Behavioral Problems" having an effect on his parents marriage would not be him, but his parents' weaknesses.  When being a part of the Autism Community one has to understand the importance of understanding and patience, which we will see more about these importances throughout the novel.  Now let's hear from you...

Think about what Christopher says about metaphors and lies and their relationship to novels (pp. 14-20).  Why is lying such an alien concept to him?  In his antipathy to lies, Christopher decides not to write a novel, but a book in which "everything I have written...is true"(p. 20).  Why do 'normal' human beings in the novel, like Christopher's parents, find lies so indispensable?  Why is the idea of truth so central to Christopher's narration?

Introduction to COLC's Common Read

"Metaphors are lies" - Christopher John Francis Boone

The College of Language and Communication has choosen
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon as this year's common read.  The quote above is from the protagonist in Haddon's novel, and is well described by these phrases...

"Christopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057.  He relates well to animals but has no understanding of human emotions.  He cannot stand to be touched.  And he detests the color yellow."

Christopher John Francis Boone is affected by the many telling signs of Autism.  Before we go any further into our discussion I want to make it known that Haddon is not an authority of autism.  In fact, the text was not meant to define those with autism.  Haddon has explained that is was not his intent to write a book over the spectrum, but that the readers have made it into a source over autism.  The reasoning behind why the novel has taken off is because many have become fascinated and fallen in love with the protagonist Christopher Boone and his eccentric dispositions. 

To catch many of you up who are not familiar with this text, Christopher John Francis Boone is a fifteen-year-old boy who is trying to solve a murder case.  The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is actually Christopher’s journal that he has written to better organize his thoughts and clues in discovering the suspicious murderer.  The book begins with him finding his neighbor’s poodle, Wellington, dead in the front yard.  Like most people with autism, Christopher becomes fixated, and decides to solve the mystery of who killed Wellington.  His father, Ed Boone, has told him numerous times to stay out of others’ business and that it only leads to more harmful behaviors, but of course he disregards his father's wishes and continues in search for the murderer.  From this one event Christopher finds himself in several uncomfortable situations, and because Christopher is believed to have a mild form of Autism it makes these situations even more challenging for him.   

The College of Language and Communication would like you to join us and Christopher John Francis Boone in the discovery of whom killed Wellington.