Throughout time people have always seen mentally disabled children as less smart or peculiar, when in fact they just have a different way of viewing the world around them. The use of an autistic narrator in the novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon gives readers a unique and first person insight into the physical and mental challenges that come with having a mental handicap. By describing Christopher’s yearning for independence, need for order and simplicity, and his complicated relationship with his parents, Haddon utilizes the perspective of a person who is presumably disabled to show how the people around him are in fact mentally crippled.
Independence
Like every teenager, Christopher constantly longs for independence from his family and the people around him. Because of his condition Christopher has been unable to fully take care of himself, so the adults around him doubt and prevent him from trying to break away and be on his own. After Chris’ father tells him to stop the investigation of
…show more content…
Many parents find it hard to understand their children, leading to stress on relationships and many more outcomes. The article “Effects of Autism on the Individual and their Family” explains that, “Parents can become isolated, depressed, and emotionally and physically exhausted from looking after their autistic children and fighting for support. They feel judged by society, guilty that their child is missing out and frustrated at not knowing how best to help them.” (Effects of Autism) Christopher’s mother left him and his father because she couldn’t handle the pressure of taking care of Chris. This stress of caring for Christopher is also what led her to end her relationship with her husband. Without being able to communicate simply, relationships are often destroyed, leaving children like Christopher with a broken