THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME BY MARK HADDON

1. Briefly summarise the plot of the story.

Christopher is an autistic child who lives with his father in Swindon. One night he discovers the corpse of Wellington, the dog of her neighbour, crossed by a garden fork. Mrs Shears, the owner of the dog, calls the police, who begins to interrogate the boy. Christopher starts feeling waved by so many questions and one of the officials tries to take hold of his arm, which provokes that the boy strikes him and is taken to the police station until his father gathers him. Christopher decides then to investigate the case to clean his name. Nevertheless, his investigation meets seriously limited by his dreads and difficulties at the moment of interpreting the world that him makes a detour. During his investigation, Christopher will be forced to meet people to whom he has never related, in spite of the fact that they live in the same street.

Along his adventures, Christopher writes a book about his experiences, called The curious incident of the dog in the night-time. Ed, his father, discovers the book and is worried because he could have more problems. He hides the book after a fight between both of them. On his search of the hidden book, Christopher discovers a heap of letters directed to him from his mother, dated after she died, that his father also had concealed. His father had explained to him the absence of his mother saying that she died of a heart attack, that Christopher assumes that it is an aneurysm. But judging by the letters, Christopher comes to the conclusion that his mother is still alive and that his father has lied to him. He remains so deeply shocked by this fact that is unable to move, trembles and is waved on the bed, is sick and moans for several hours until his father comes back home.

When Ed enters home, he realizes that Christopher has read the letters and cleans him. Later, he confesses to him that he lied brings over of the death of Judy, his mother, and also that he is the one who killed Wellington, affirming that it was a mistake, that he got jeaulous and had a discussion with Mrs Shears.

Christopher, who has lost the whole confidence in his father, and being afraid that also he could try to kill him, provided that already he had killed before Wellington, he decides to escape of his house and live with his mother. Guided by the address of the letters of his mother, he embarks in a trip of adventure with his rate Toby in the pocket to London, where his mother lives with Mr Shears. After a long and confused trip, eluding the policemen who are looking for him (after his father was calling the police denouncing his disappearance, and feeling to fall ill for the immense information that receives of the multitudes and the signs in the trains) Christopher finally finds the way to find his mother´s house and waits out until they come back home. His mother, Judy, feels happy for his arrival and tries to support him, she cannot believe that her ex-husband was saying to Christopher that she had died, and decides to allow to Christopher to live with her and Mr Shears in their small apartment of London, which originates a problem with Mr Shears, who doesn’t want that the boy lives with them. Christopher wants to return to Swindon to be able to do his exams of Top Graduate in mathematics. His mother finally leaves Mr Shears, his relation seemingly rotates for the conflict because of Christopher, and she moves to Swindon with her son, where she rents a room. After a discussion with her ex-husband, she allows that Ed can meet with Christopher to diary a few minutes. Christopher continues having terror towards his father, who hopes that he is imprisoned by the murder of Wellington. The history ends with Ed giving a dog to Christopher as a pet, since Toby, his rat, had died, and promising him that he is going to manage to restore the confidence with Christopher slowly, every day, little by little. Christopher passes his exams with the well-known maximum, and decides to appear to the following levels, and to go to the university, because he wants to be a scientist.

2. Describe the main characters. What kind of people are they? Use examples from the story to show what you mean.

Christopher: He is the protagonist of the history. He is 15 years old and suffers a disease called Asperger's Syndrome. He has many obsessions because of this disease, for example he doesn’t like that they touch him, he doesn’t like yellow things or brown... But he likes maths, red things…

His mother (Judy): She is a woman who has little patience with Christopher. She left home because she fell in love of Mr Shears although Christopher thinks that she had died. She goes to live to London with Mr Shears.

His father (Ed): He has more patience with Christopher than his mother. He looks after Christopher when his mother left. He tells Christopher than his mother is dead. He kills Wellington.

Siobhan: She is Christopher’s teacher. They are very good friends. She helps Christopher to write a book, Christopher trusts her.

Wellington: It is Mrs Shears´ dog. It appears died in the Mrs Shears´ garden. Its murderer is Christopher’s father. From his murder Christopher begin to write his book.

Mrs Shears: She is Mr Shears´ wife, who helps the Christopher’s father when his mother went away with her husband.

Mr Shears: He is Mrs Shears´ husband; he goes away with Christopher’s mother to London. He doesn’t like Christopher.

Toby: It is Christopher’s rat. It accompanies Christopher in his adventures. It dies to the end.

3. What is the main conflict of the novel? How is it resolved?

I think that the main conflict of the novel is the relation between Christopher’s parents or the family problems and the relation of the child with his environment suffering a disease called Asperger's syndrome.

The family problems are solved almost at the end of the novel, when the Christopher’s mother decides to return to Swindon with her son and her husband, and when Christopher begins to trust his father.

The relation of the child with his environment is solved along the novel, since his disease doesn’t prevent him from obtaining almost anything of what he proposes; even he passes the top baccalaureate of mathematics with the maximum punctuation.

4. Are there any interesting sub-plots (minor conflicts)? Briefly summarise them.

I think that there are a few minor conflicts; I have written those that I consider most important:

The murder of the dog: After the dogs murder, Christopher begins to write his book and is reporting his adventures to find the murderer of the dog. It occupies the first part of the book.

Christopher's trip to find his mother: Here he reports the adventures that it happens to Christopher up to coming to London to find his mother.

5. Where or when is the novel set? Does it affect the story? If so, how? If not, why not?

This novel is set in Swindon and in London. Swindon is a small town due to it everything is known by all people, so everybody know that the situation of Christopher’s family. London is a big city and there, we can see how Christopher feels fright because he is in a place that he has never been.

6. What do you think was the author’s purpose in writing the novel?

I think that the author’s purpose in writing the novel is to speak about the life in general and about the people and their emotions especially.

Reporting problems of daily life and trying to induce to the overcoming of our limits putting on Christopher's case.

7. Often the title of a short story or novel points to a theme. What do you think the title of this novel means?

The title of this novel can suggest that this novel is a murder novel, but when you start to read you can see how at first this novel treats of the murder of a dog, and then how treats of family problems, and society problems in general.

I think that the title of this novel is to call the attention of people for then surprising them with the draft in the topic of the novel.

8. Comment on the author’s writing style. Did you like it? Why? Why not?

I think that this book is written of a very creative and dynamic form. I like his style because the author tries to give us a vision of our own reality from the vision of an autistic child and that we feel identified with the personages who appear in the novel.

9. How did you react to the novel? Why?

It is a novel that I have liked because I have never read one the same and less in English. I have said before I like the style of the author because you can identify with the feelings of his personages.

10. Add anything else you want to comment on.

I believe that it is a book not only for young people but also for adults. I believe that young people can like it as much as adults.