The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

994 Words4 Pages
The 2003 novel ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’ written by Mark Haddon should most definitely be included in module B because of its distinctive features. In the novel there are four distinctive features that Mark Haddon utilises to create a distinctive text. Mark Haddon utilises the features such as humour to engage the audience, style to help the reader understand the protagonist’s point of view, graphic elements to better communicate ideas to the reader and the use of the protagonist with Asperger’s to provide an unconventional and unique perspective. Mark Haddon’s novel ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’ is written from the unique perspective of an Asperger’s boy and is a distinctive feature of the text. The novel focuses on a 15yr old boy who has Asperger’s syndrome with an obsession to solve the murder of a dog. However, it’s not all about the dog. The book focuses on what it is to have Asperger’s and the secrets Christopher uncovers during his investigation. Mark Haddon’s use of the Asperger’s boy as the protagonist is unlike any other and creates a unique view of the world. In the novel there are many examples of this unique point of view. This is seen in the quote, “I like dogs. You always know what a dog is thinking. It has four moods. Happy, sad, cross and concentrating. Also, dogs are faithful and they do not tell lies because they cannot talk.” Mark Haddon uses first person to show Christopher’s view on life in a personal manner. The quote shows how Christopher sees himself as a young man who is extremely transparent in his moods and meanings and never lies. The quote also exemplifies Christopher’s inability to understand a wide range of expressions. Another quote that displays Christopher’s unique perspective is seen in the quote “Prime numbers are what is left when you have taken all the patterns away. I think
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