Preview

Christopher Boone Incident

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
506 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Christopher Boone Incident
One little statement
Mark Haddon’s “The curious incident of the dog in the night-time” narrator Christopher Boone is a special boy. Throughout the book, one learn that Christopher has a hard time understanding social behaviour, touching, irony, etc. He himself says that he has “behavioural problems”. The blurb on the other time states that he has Asperger’s Syndrome; an autism spectrum disorder that characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction and nonverbal communication. Neither the author nor the book states this. Can this extra information in the blurb change the readers’ experience and focus in the book?
Haddon never planned for Christopher to be an autistic boy when he started writing, Christopher formed that way
…show more content…
When one read that the book is about a boy with Asperger’s Syndrome, one will subconsciously take that with them. The book is no longer about a different way of looking and learning, but about a boy with Asperger’s Syndrome. Even though the book takes a stand that there is indeed “something wrong” with Christopher, it only supplement the charm of the book and the narrator, without focusing on the sickness itself. For many the blurb will not have too much to say, but either you start out on the book knowing he has Asperger’s syndrome, or you have not. Even though it is impossible to say whether it would have made a difference since no one can forget impressions and memories from the book, there is a chance that those who read the blurb would have taken a prejudice with them, shaping their impressions. For those who read the blurb one of the consequences could be that they truly believe that this is the way people with Asperger’s think and see the world, when Haddon never meant for Christopher to have the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Instead, it is bundled together with other conditions that are collectively referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorder. Among the symptoms that an individual is required to exhibit to be diagnosed with any of the conditions in this group of disorders is abnormal social approach (APA, 2013). Essentially, this means that the individual should be unable to behave properly in social situations. There are numerous instances in the book where John demonstrates abnormal social behavior. For instance, he learns about the death of Betsy, a friend of his mother’s (Robison, 2008). The normal response to bad news is sadness and some expression of sympathy. Instead of responding in the manner that a normal individual would, John smiles. John does not understand why smiling is not acceptable. He tries to rationalize his response. He thinks that since he is not dead and all his parents are not dead either, he has no reason to be sad (Robison, 2008). John’s response to the news of Betsy’s death adds to the other symptoms already discussed to make the case that he is definitely ailing from Asperger’s…

    • 1675 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In excerpt of chapter 29, Christopher writes that he “finds people confusing”. Because actions have multiple meanings, Christopher explains that these actions “can mean lots of different things.” From the Christopher’s autistic point of view, he doesn’t always understand…

    • 280 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The novel is narrated in the first-person perspective by Christopher Boone, a 15-year-old boy who describes himself as "a mathematician with some behavioral difficulties" living in Swindon, Wiltshire. The book is not a book about Asperger’s syndrome; it’s more a novel about difference, about being an outsider, about seeing the world in a surprising and revealing way.…

    • 560 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night time was written by Mark Haddon in 2003 and focuses on the life of a young boy with Asperger’s syndrome. Christopher Boone is a 15 year old boy, who lives with his father in Swindon and must embark on a challenging journey to London, all by himself. Haddon aims the story towards a young, educated adult audience, and explores the notion that Christopher’s personal choices affects relationships. His attitudes towards others and his relationships with them is moulded through his choices. These choices are ultimately a consequence of his need for logic and order, his differences/social isolation, and his unique perspective as an individual. Christopher is dependent on trust as a foundation for everyday life and cannot function without it. He feels alienated from mainstream society due to his condition and the responder is presented…

    • 802 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Many of the most brilliant and prestigious people in this world have reportedly suffered form the insidious disease of Autism. Some of whom are Albert Einstein, Thomas Jefferson, Michelangelo, Isaac Newton, and Andy Warhol. What may you ask do the following people have in common? They have all single handily made some of the most advanced contributions and theories of our time, allowing us a basis for more advanced studies today. The novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, tells a story of the main protagonist Christopher Boone as he battles many of the presenting challenges of a child diagnosed with autism. The probing novel explores many of the daily challenges Christopher faces, how he overcomes these challenges and who his accomplices are while facing these issues. Author Mark Haddon allows readers to see into the tainted mind of an extraordinary child with this disease and how he overcomes his inability to adapt to the challenges bestowed upon him.…

    • 1338 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Christopher Boone

    • 1708 Words
    • 7 Pages

    15-year-old Christopher John Francis Boone is the protagonist of the novel, who due to an autism spectrum disorder called Asperger’s syndrome has an inability to socially conform in some aspects. As the novel progresses the reader is able to pick up that Christopher likes order and being able to predict what will happen next as it makes him feel more in control of the situation. Despite being mathematically gifted; his condition is the evident cause of his incapability to empathize. Haddon uses short blunt sentences to establish that Christopher has difficulties empathizing, an example of this is when Christopher states, “The dog was dead. There was a garden fork sticking out of the dog.” (Haddon, 2003, Page 1). We learn through the diagrams…

    • 1708 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Have you ever felt misunderstood? Have you ever wanted to be alone in the world? In the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, written by Mark Haddon, Christopher Boone is a young teenager who is intelligent and talented in math. But Christopher has a condition, which is autism that makes him think and speak differently. His autism affect how he interacts with people, develops relationships, and deal with new situations.…

    • 548 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time had many humorous situations that occurred with Christopher Boone’s investigation, but also provided many real obstacles that a kid with Asperger’s Syndrome faces. Christopher was hostile when ever someone touched him, including hugs and handshakes. After finding Mrs. Shears dog, Wellington, stabbed with garden fork, Mrs. Shears calls the police to remove Christopher. When the officer approached him he grabbed Christopher’s arm and lifted him up. However, Christopher “didn’t like him touching me like this” and proceeded to hit the officer (Haddon 8). It is difficult for Christopher and anyone who has Asperger’s to stay out of trouble. While it is unbeknownst to them that they are causing harm to a person, their…

    • 901 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    His name Jonah and he was unable to recover from this horrible disorder. He and another child, received the A.B.A. treatment at the same time, but for Jonah it was unsuccessful. Besides this, the article claims that the school he attended was not aware he was autistic. Also, the author provides an example of how another kid, after the therapy, was able attend a school and no one knows he has autism. But Jonah ’’ meanwhile, is not indistinguishable’’ ( Yanofsky). But against this, his parents and teachers look at him and regard him as a ’’delight’’, ’’openhearted’’, with ’’irrepressible personality’’ (Yanofsky)…

    • 803 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Point: Haddon has conveyed Chris’ emotions well in an autistic point of view Evidence: Haddon tends to use “I was really confused” like on pg 98 when Chris reads a letter from his mum. “ Then I was really confused because mother had never worked as a secretary…” Most of the time autistic children are confused, because they have trouble reckoning emotions. Technique:…

    • 1122 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Asperger's Syndrome is one specific syndrome close to autism. As for autism, people who suffer from Asperger's Syndrome have trouble with social skills, for example they cannot stand to be touched. In chapter 11, Christopher overreacted and hit the policeman who "took hold of his arm and lifted him up onto his feet."…

    • 470 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Ann Bauer’s essay, “The new autism reality,” she not only focuses on her son’s autism, but also the stigma that comes with it. At first, the thought of autism repulses her and she describes the term as “monstrous”. She says this because autism where she used to live was not very common and people were not familiar with it. Bauer also admits to having very little knowledge of autism at this point. She gives credit to the movie, “Rain Man”, as her only understanding of it. Throughout the article, the reader can see her transition to accept it.…

    • 717 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Rain Man Essay

    • 1726 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Moreover, many misconceptions exist regarding people with ASD and before I move on, I would like to address some prominent myths about autism. Due to the popular movie Rain Man, many people in America and elsewhere believe that every individual with ASD is an Autistic Savant, as in they are exceptionally gifted in a specialized field, such as artistic ability, musical acuity, and more (Sicile-Kira, 2). This is a falsehood, as only ten percent of people with ASD have astounding gifts and are considered Autistic Savants (Frith, 29). Another pertinent myth to discuss is the idea that those who are nonverbal are unintelligent. Sadly, before I began learning about autism and related conditions, to some extent I believed this to be true.…

    • 1726 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Autism Speaks: A Biography

    • 1432 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Many people don’t know a person with autism. This happened to one family. Natalie has an older brother that has autism. Her brother, Patrick, has autism, but she doesn’t see him as that. He can retell you word for word what happened in the ten pages that he just read. Natalie likes to n go out in public with her brother, but everyone doesn’t see him as society's “norm.” He has a brilliant mind that no one else but him will have that power to tell you something word for word. Sometimes when people are over, he has to compensate for his disability. People will never understand how his brain works and how others work (Letter).…

    • 1432 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Have you ever wanted to stay away from people who have a mental disability? In the book, The Curious Incident of The Dog in The Night-time by Mark Haddon, Christopher has a serious condition of Asperger’s syndrome, but is still really intelligent. Autism can be beneficial to autistic people because it can help them be more confident and express themselves however they please. They understand the differences between them and others and they don’t allow people’s thoughts and opinions to sway them. An example of this would be they are creative with their thoughts, they like to challenge themselves, and they see each situation differently than the average human being.…

    • 892 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays