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?
Christopher's references to Sherlock Holmes reminded me of reading the tales when I was a child and then as an adult. As I child I was simply struck by Holmes' brilliance. As an adult I was aware how difficult a relationship would be with the character. Someone with so little affectionate emotion, who sees things too clearly for comfort at times and has no qualms about stating the truth. This is how Christopher's character struck me as well. As a mother, the lack of physicality would be depressing because it is such a large part of parent/child attachment. I also think it becomes an easy out for his parents to lie to him about some parts of life in general and their lives in particular rather than trying to explain nuances that are difficult or impossible for him to understand. I don't know where the line of right and wrong is in that. It seems disrespectful of Christopher as a person, yet I have a great compassion for the pain that his parents experience when he becomes upset by things that he cannot comprehend.
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