Essay On The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

In the novel, The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, written by Mark Haddon, readers discern the correlation of events from the novel which display the protagonist’s behavior and illness. The protagonist, Christopher, is described to be suffering with a form of autism, Asperger’s syndrome. Asperger’s syndrome is not considered to be a diagnosis on its own, however, it’s part of a broader category called autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (Bhandari, 2016). Throughout the novel, numerous events are depicted that prompts readers to grasp the normalities of Asperger’s syndrome, many of which dawn from the common symptoms. For example, individuals with AS have average or above average intelligence, however, struggle with issues implicated

This may lead one to miss social cues that are obvious to most people, such as body language and facial expressions. For example, when someone crosses their arms or scowls, one may not realize they are angry (Bhandari, 2016). In The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, readers comprehend that a frequent normality in Christopher’s behavior, is his apathy for others, specifically, strangers. For instance, when Christopher finds his pet rat in the train tracks when going to London to visit his mother, Christopher impulsively runs in the train tracks to rescue his pet. As other bystanders witness Christopher’s renegade act, one man calls out to Christopher to arouse him of his actions. Christopher disregards this because of his strong distaste and unfamiliarity for strangers. Christopher’s life is put at jeopardy when he is stuck in the train tracks, unable to escape, however, it is the brave act of one man that saves Christopher (Haddon 182-183). Christopher’s ignorance to social cues and scenarios negatively impacts Christopher’s well-being, and growth as an