The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time Summary. Christopher Boon, a mathematically gifted boy of fifteen with Asperger's syndrome, sees a dog lying on the grass in front of his neighbor's house with a fork sticking out of it. The dog is dead.
Is the Curious Incident of the dog in the night-time a play?
For the stage adaptation of the book, see The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (play). The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a 2003 mystery novel by British writer Mark Haddon.
What happens at the end of the Curious Incident of the dog?
What happens in the end of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime? At the end of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Christopher lives with his mother in Swindon and slowly reconciles with his father, who buys him a puppy named Sandy.
What is the message of the Curious Incident?
But it also provides profound insight into a disorder – autism – that leaves those who have it struggling to perceive even the most basic of human emotions. In so doing, The Curious Incident leaves its readers with a greater appreciation of their own ability to feel, express, and interpret emotions.
Who are the main characters in the Curious Incident of the dog?
See a complete list of the characters in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time and in-depth analyses of Christopher John Francis Boone, Christopher’s father (Ed Boone), Christopher’s mother (Judy Boone), Mrs. Shears, and Siobhan.
What happens in the end of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime?
At the end of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Christopher lives with his mother in Swindon and slowly reconciles with his father, who buys him a puppy named Sandy. Christopher passes his A-level mathematics exams, and his exemplary score helps him feel confident about his future as an adult.
Who is the killer in The Curious Incident of the dog in the Night?
After a bath, Father dries Christopher off and puts him in bed. Father apologizes for lying about Mother and keeping the letters from Christopher. He doesn't want any more lies between them, so he confesses to killing Wellington.
What is the plot of The Curious Incident of the dog at night?
In the novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Christopher Boone, a brilliant teenage boy with Autism, sets out to solve the murder of his neighbor's dog. Written by Mark Haddon and published in 2003, the book has become a prize-winning bestseller translated into three-dozen languages.
What is the climax in the curious incident of the dog in the night-time?
After many hours of wrong turns, turbulent interactions with strangers, and overwhelming sights and sounds, the climax of the novel occurs when Christopher overcomes his personal limitations and arrives at his mother and Mr. Shears' flat.
Why does Christopher decide to find out who killed the dog?
Because of his fondness for Mrs. Shears and his desire to find out who killed Wellington, Christopher decides to find out more about Mr. Shears. Christopher goes to a school for children with special needs, but he thinks all the other children there are stupid.
What secret does Mrs Alexander tell Christopher?
Alexander forges a bond with Christopher by revealing two very powerful and painful truths: His mother is not dead, and she was having an affair with Mr. Shears.
Why does Ed dispute Christopher's claims?
Ed Boone had misrepresented his wife's abandonment of the family to Christopher as his mother's death. At first, he claims he lied to protect Christopher, and then says lying happened by “accident.” Ed struggles to communicate clearly with Christopher, revealing a conflicted nature and sense of honesty.
When Christopher's Father tells him who killed Wellington How does Christopher react?
He promises he's going to tell the truth from now on – about everything, always. Then he tells him that he was the one who killed Wellington, the dog. Christopher thinks he's just kidding, but he's not.
Why did Christophers mother leave?
Christopher believes her dead for two years before finding her letters to him hidden in his father's cupboard. In fact, Judy couldn't handle the stress of having Christopher as her son, and thought that Ed was taking better care of him, so she left to live in London with Mr. Shears.
What is the major conflict in the curious incident?
Major conflictChristopher's investigation of Wellington's murder leads him to uncover a number of secrets about his parents, causing him to lose his trust in Father and to set out to London in search of Mother. Rising actionAs Christopher investigates Wellington's murder, he learns that Mother and Mr.
How did Christopher's mother died Curious Incident?
Judy Boone – Judy is Christopher's mother. Early in the story, we are told that she has died of a heart attack and has been dead for the last two years. Mrs. Shears – Christopher's neighbor.
Is there foreshadowing in the curious incident of the dog?
Christopher's father has a strong, seemingly disproportionate objection to Christopher's investigation into Wellington's murder, foreshadowing that Christopher's father killed Wellington.
Why was The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time banned?
Reason for Ban/Challenge: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time has been challenged and banned in several schools, primarily due to complaints regarding “profane” language. Some parents have also requested the book be removed from school reading lists because they believe it promotes atheism.
Who wrote the book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time?
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a 2003 mystery novel by British writer Mark Haddon. Its title refers to an observation by the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes in Arthur Conan Doyle's 1892 short story "The Adventure of Silver Blaze".
What happened to the dog in the night time?
Christopher Boon, a mathematically gifted boy of fifteen with Asperger's syndrome, sees a dog lying on the grass in front of his neighbor's house with a fork sticking out of it. The dog is dead. She thinks Christopher has killed the dog.
Summary
Read our full plot summary and analysis of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, scene by scene break-downs, and more.
Characters
See a complete list of the characters in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time and in-depth analyses of Christopher John Francis Boone, Christopher’s father (Ed Boone), Christopher’s mother (Judy Boone), Mrs. Shears, and Siobhan.
Literary Devices
Here's where you'll find analysis of the literary devices in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, from the major themes to motifs, symbols, and more.
Questions & Answers
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Quotes
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Quick Quizzes
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Essays
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What does the claustrophobia feel in the packed train?
The claustrophobia he feels in the packed train reminds Christopher of when the school bus broke down, leaving Mother to drive Christopher and some other children home. The car was so full that Christopher jumped out while it was moving, hurting his head. The policeman from earlier appears. He says Father is looking for Christopher and that he has come to take Christopher back to the station. But the train starts to move, so the policeman has to wait until the next stop.
What does Christopher do in the train?
He does some quadratic equations to pass the time. The train beings to slow down and he hears the policeman knocking on the door of the bathroom, then leaving. Christopher stays perfectly still until the train starts moving again.
What does the policeman tell Christopher to do?
The policeman orders Christopher to go clean up, and when Christopher enters the bathroom there is poop smeared on the toilet seat. The sight sickens him. When he is done, he notices that across from the bathroom are two shelves that remind Christopher of the cupboard back home where he often went to feel safe.
What did Christopher do in the same field?
In the same field, Christopher would memorize the exact number of cows, their colors, and their placement. Christopher attributes the fact that he is good at math and logic to his attention to detail.
What chapter does Christopher learn to memorize?
Summary: Chapter 181. Christopher explains that he must memorize every physical detail of his environment. In places he has already visited he can simply note the changes that have occurred since his last time there. But if Christopher is in an entirely new place, processing his surroundings can cause his mind to freeze up, ...
Why does Christopher think people believe in God illogically?
Christopher thinks that people believe in God illogically, because they do not realize that unlikely things can happen by chance. He illustrates the three conditions needed to result in life: Replication, Mutation, and Heritability. He says humans are animals just like any other, only luckier evolutionarily.
How long has Christopher been sitting in a café?
Christopher finally looks up to find a policeman talking to him. The man says that Christopher has been sitting in this café for two and a half hours. Christopher explains why he’s at the train station, and tells the policeman that he has a bank card.
What is the man with dreadlocks doing in the train?
The man selling tickets gives him directions to his train. He imagines a red line across the floor, leading him where he has to go, and he follows the line, barking like a dog when people bump into him. He makes it to the train, watches a man open the electronic doors by pressing a button, and gets on the train himself.
What does Christopher do in the train station?
He concentrates on a sign at the other end and makes it through the tunnel. He ends up in the lobby of the station, sees signs all around him, and finds a chair to sit in. He feeds Toby and holds onto his knife while groaning.
Why does Christopher bark when someone touches him?
His ignorance about how to buy train tickets shows just how little he knows about how to take a trip in England , making his fear even more understandable. This is the first of a number of times that he barks when someone touches him, and it seems that he unconsciously does so in sympathy with Wellington. In escaping from Wellington’s murderer, Christopher feels a particular affinity with the dog.
Does Christopher have a focus?
Christopher has an impressive ability to focus. Even while being bombarded by sensory experiences in the train station, he manages to block everything out for the sake of an elaborate mental math problem.
Why does Christopher keep his eyes closed on the third day?
On the third day, he keeps his eyes closed on the way to school so he can’t see more yellow cars. Once again, Christopher demonstrates his investment in the rules that govern his private world. Even so, he’s willing to manipulate fortune and his own rules by closing his eyes so that he isn’t forced to have another “Black Day.”.
How many yellow cars does Christopher see in Black Days?
Christopher sees four yellow cars both of the next two days, so they’re “Black Days” and he keeps to himself more than ever. He presses his head into the library wall and groans, which makes him feel safe. On the third day, he keeps his eyes closed on the way to school so he can’t see more yellow cars. Once again, Christopher demonstrates his ...
Does the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time have a real ending?
Back at school, Christopher shows Siobhan what he’s written so far and tells her he has to stop his detective work, so the book can’t have a real ending.
Overview
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a 2003 mystery novel by British writer Mark Haddon. Its title refers to an observation by the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes (created by Arthur Conan Doyle) in the 1892 short story "The Adventure of Silver Blaze". Haddon and The Curious Incident won the Whitbread Book Awards for Best Novel and Book of the Year, the Commonweal…
Plot
Christopher John Francis Boone is a 15-year-old boy who has behavioural problems and lives with his father, Ed. He explains in his narration that his mother, Judy, apparently died two years before. Then one day, the boy discovers the dead body of the neighbour's dog, Wellington, speared by a garden fork. Mrs. Shears, the dog's owner, calls the police, and Christopher comes under suspicion. He is arrested, then released with a police caution. He decides to investigate the dog'…
Characters
Christopher John Francis Boone The protagonist and narrator of the novel, who investigates the murder of Mrs. Shears' dog Wellington, a large black poodle, has many behavioural issues. Ed Boone Christopher's father, a boiler engineer. Prior to the beginning of the story, he has been living with Christopher as a single parent for two years. Judy Boone Christopher's mother. Early in the book, Christopher writes that she died of a heart attack two years before the book's events. Sand…
Themes
In an interview with NPR's Terry Gross, broadcast on her program Fresh Air in June 2003, Haddon said about Christopher:
If he were diagnosed, he would be diagnosed as having Asperger's syndrome, which is a form of autism. I suppose you'd call it high-function autism, in that he can function on, you know, a day-to-day basis, in a kind of rudimentary way. But he has a serious difficulty with life in that he really d…
Reception
A survey in Great Britain, conducted by the BBC's literacy campaign for World Book Day, found Curious Incident to be among "the top five happy endings, as voted on by readers" in novels (the others were Pride and Prejudice, To Kill a Mockingbird, Jane Eyre and Rebecca, the last of which Curious outranked).
School Library Journal praised it as a "rich and poignant novel". The San Jose Mercury News said…
Adaptations
A stage adaptation, by Simon Stephens and directed by Marianne Elliott, premiered at the National Theatre on 2 August 2012. It starred Luke Treadaway as Christopher, Nicola Walker as his mother Judy, Paul Ritter as his father Ed, Una Stubbs as Mrs Alexander and Niamh Cusack as Siobhan. The production, which ran until late October, was broadcast live to cinemas worldwide on 6 September through the National Theatre Live programme.
External links
• Interview by Dave Weich with author Mark Haddon – Powell's Books (October 10, 2006)
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at Google Books