Christopher Boone

“It’s very nice of you to come and say hello”I didn't reply to this either because Mrs. Alexander was doing what is called chatting where people say things to each other which aren't questions and answers and aren't connected.”Pg 40 This passage, in Mark Haddon’s novel, The curious incident of the dog in the night-time, was said by the main character of this novel, Christopher Boone, a 15 year old boy, who is anything but normal. Chris has Asperger's, a form of autism, and sees the world and those in it completely different from everyone else. So, with Chris’s varying views on the world, we see just how difficult and complicated language, social cues, day to day dialogue, and even body language is to interpret and decipher, from someone

However, this is entirely dependent on how what they say, how they say it, and of course, the reaction to what is said. For instance, Chris talks to his neighbor about her dog, which had been killed the night before, and is the very scenario that gives the title to the novel. In this conversation, Chris says,” I wanted to come over and tell you i didn't kill Wellington. And i also want to find out who killed him”Pg30 Now, the woman who he is talking to is Mrs.Shears, is a good family friend. As Chris says this, Mrs.Shear’s reaction was spilling some of her drink on the floor, and once Chris repeated himself, she proceeded to say goodbye, and then shut the door in his face. What would have happened if he had inserted a few choice words into that sentence, or removed some words? Let’s say that he said,”Mrs.Shears, i'm really sorry about what happened to your dog last night, but i would really like to help you find out who did it so that you could be properly compensated for your loss.” We could infer that Mrs.Shears would have reacted better, and Chris still could have done what he wanted to do, which was to say that he didn't kill the dog, and that he would like to find out who did. It all boils down to what he said and how he said it. However, this does show just how blunt Chris is, and his lack of comprehension of social cues and other’s

And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.”-Madeleine L’Engle What does this quote mean? How does it relate to any of the topics above? Well, Chris has a very complex way of interpreting what information he takes in. So, he describes that information in a very basic, sometimes even childlike way. However, he is undeniably intelligent and we can observe that through his writing and his diction. Select words that he uses could easy perplex a highschool student, or maybe even a doctor, and yet he is able to convey his messages and feelings as well as relate everything he sees and hears in great detail to even the youngest of audiences in way that they can understand. Yet we know without his particular selection of words and the way he relays it that could be the complete and total opposite. Every word he chooses whether its and, which he says well over a hundred times, or yet, which he says rarely, means something. Without the over usage of the word and, the simplistic style of his writing,lack of basic punctuation, and the amount of details he sees would not all be an apparent characteristics of Chris and would therefore not give the same impression on the reader. Language is everything, and so is your diction, and how you use your vocabulary, and when. The curious incident of the dog in the night time shows just how much written and spoken communication is, and how complicated it