Through storytelling, individuals are confronted with worldviews uniquely different from theirs, illustrating either resonance or dissonance in their context. However, ultimately, this reinforces the impact of change in an individual’s perception of their milieu and invokes introspection. Mark Haddon’s seminal prose-fiction novel, The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-Time (2003), exemplifies this necessity for change through his narrative from the perspective of Christopher Boone, which is assumed to suffer from Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) through a reflection of his behaviours and is confronted with the death of an innocent dog. The plot of the novel explores Christopher’s investigations as the mystery develops, whilst additionally providing insight into the prejudices and hardships …show more content…
Through the themes of subjectivity and logic that are presented within the novel, Haddon conveys a distinct worldview of an ASD protagonist that is dissonant to an individual of a neurotypical standpoint, thus inviting readers into expanding their understanding of neurodiversity.
In The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Haddon explores the theme of subjectivity through Christopher Boone, the protagonist afflicted with ASD. In doing so, he illustrates an unfamiliar perspective in which the audience grows accustomed to and alters their perceptions of the environment surrounding them. From the beginning of the text, Haddon makes it clear that the novel will follow a highly unconventional narrator as seen in Christopher’s introduction of himself, “I know all the countries of the world and their capital cities and every prime number up to 7,507.” Through this, Haddon sets the writing style unique to Christopher’s voice which is matter-of-fact and childlike, portraying a realistic character of ASD and his