The Untold Truth Behind Numbers and Reasoning “Number” is defined as a value expressed by a quantity or amount. But to Christopher, a young autistic teenager with a talent for mathematics, it is so much more. In The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon, numbers represent all that is logical and simple to Christopher. Christopher narrow mindedly uses mathematical equations and reasoning to interpret humans, nature, and religion. This fails to show him the depth of human emotions and demonstrates that one must use multiple forms of reasoning to understand the world around them. Christopher’s use of math in nature demonstrates how reliant he is on it. Throughout the novel, he is unable to use any perspectives other than his own mathematical point of view. Christopher begins using equations for hypothetical and natural …show more content…
He explains, “Here is a formula for the population of animals…And it means that sometimes things are so complicated that it is impossible to predict what they are going to do next, but they are only obeying simple rules” (101). Christopher is calmed by the fact that there is a mathematical formula behind everything, and making up his own helps him cope with how complicated situations are. He believes that maths is the answer to every problem, including his own behavior. Christopher rides the bus to get to school and looks out the window on the way there. “I saw 4 yellow cars in a row on the way to school, which made it a Black Day” (53). Christopher needs to believe that all emotions have a mathematical and logical cause. To help with this he uses these superstitions based on numbers to determine his