The Role Of Conflict In The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

Conflict is a topic that affects millions of people worldwide. Dealing with conflict is extremely difficult, especially if you have a mental or physical disability. The novel, The Curious Incident of the dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, explains part of teenager Christopher John Francis Boone’s life as he deals with his behavior problems. Due to his issues, when Christopher responds to conflict, it mostly damages him both mentally and physically. Throughout the novel, Christopher is dealt with internal and external conflict. Conflict is a major topic in everyone’s life, including Christopher’s. While Christopher faces many conflicts throughout the story, a large handful of them happen within himself. One example of internal conflict in the story, is how Christopher cannot understand facial

The first example of an external conflict occurs when the neighbor's dog, Wellington, is murdered. Because of his behavior issues, Christopher is a very particular boy. If someone does something he does not permit, he reacts. After the murder of the dog, Christopher is approached by an officer. He explained, “QUOTE”(8). Christopher’s reaction to the officer touching him does not aid him, instead it proves how when he reacts to conflict it results negatively. Since Christopher hit an officer, he now has to deal with all the charges that follow his action. Another external conflict that takes place in the novel is when Christopher is told who really killed Wellington. When his father explained that he murdered wellington, Chris lost his mind. He confesses, “QUOTE”(122). Christopher’s response to his father’s action symbolizes what conflict does to him. When something bad happens to Christopher he cannot deal with it, ruining his mindset. Not to mention his relationship with his father. Throughout the story, Christopher is faced with many external