Main Ideas:

Tracking Thinking:

1. Some questions I have are ________________.

• I’m really confused on the difference between the mystery case and the actual story.

1. I use to think ______________, now I think _________________.

• I use to think mother died of cancer, but now since the letter is there the mother was sent away from father and father took control over Christopher for custody.

1. I still think _______________, and now I’d like to add ________________.
2. Others may think _____________, but I think _______________.

• Others may think that someone killed the mom or the mom ran away, but I think that the mother died of cancer or something.

1. This passage makes me think ________________.

• Christopher cares about things that care about him. Anyone else he doesn’t care about.

1. This author is suggesting _______________.
2. This makes me feel ______________.

• The fact that Mr. shears had an affair with his Mother makes me think that Father did something to Mother.
• The fact that his dad is lying to him a lot.

1. I was reminded of ______________.
2. One of the central issues seem to be _________________.

• Christopher doesn’t think before he says. He just says what’s on my mind.
• A lot of things are hidden from Christopher

1. I’m not sure ______________.

• I’m not sure if Roger is, Mr. Shears, but I think he is.

1. One thing that confused me ________________.

 

Analyzing the Writing:

1. Characterization

• Dialogue
  • Christopher is really straightforward with his talking, kind of moves around the main point (pg. 7)
  • Christopher tries to find answers, but his fears and his uncomfortable situations make him not find answers for his detective work (pg. 41)
  • Likes to ask the question “Why?” A lot (pg. 59-60)
  • “You’re the fucking memory man.” (pg. 82)
• Descriptive Narration
  • In how Christopher acts with Mrs. Shears of getting into tight situations he kind of freezes (pg. 4)
  • Christopher notices the small things in life that don’t exactly matter to us. He notices the simple things as if there is some significance with it and him (pg. 21)
• Internal Dialogue
  • Christopher likes to talk to himself a lot or think to himself to figure out what people are thinking and etc. (pg. 3)
  • Christopher isn’t too logical in how he thinks (pg. 24)
  • Christopher connects himself and things with books and people (pg. 72-73)
  • Father could kill Christopher (pg. 122)
• Character Actions
  • Hugs the dead dog (pg. 4)
  • Hits the police officer (pg. 8)
  • Since one thing happens, it makes him do a bunch of other things (pg. 53)
  • Left his written book on the table (pg. 81)
  • He saved Toby by risking his life (pg. 182)

1. Setting

• Conflict

• Likes to get his nose into others business (pg. 49)
• His dad found out about the book and got really triggered (pg. 81)
• He thinks that his dad might kill him because he killed Wellington (pg. 122-123)
• Policeman is after him (pg. 169)
• Mother and Father argue (pg. 196-197)

• Character Background

• His mom’s dead (that’s what was told)
• Hated a lot of things (pg. 46)
• Swindon, England
• A lot of things were hidden from him (pg. 122)

• Character Decision/Determination

• Decided to hit the cop
• He says he can’t do something, but since it’s “a good day” he can do it (pg. 55)
• When he’s told not to do something, he will still kinda do it, but not technically do it. He goes on the edge of actually doing it (pg. 57)
• He talks to a stranger (pg. 137)

 

1. Symbols, Motifs (Story Plot Triangle)

• Exposition

• His mom died (pg. 22)
• Parents always argued (pg. 45)

• Inciting Action

• Dead dog (pg. 1)
• Writes a book about the mystery (pg. 1-70)
• He finds his book and some letters from his mom (pg. 97)
• Gets on the train to see mother. (pg. 155)
• Father comes to Mother’s house (pg. 196)

• Rising Action

• Christopher finds his book and letters from his mom that was sent to him that never got to him because father hid it from him (pg. 96-97)

• Conflict (v. self, v. society, v. nature, v. man, v. fate/god) – different kinds and how they affect each other

• Christopher has a lot of conflict with himself because he wants to find out information about a topic, but the things that bother him stops him from figuring the questions out.
• Christopher had conflict with his Father (pg. 83)
• Father apologizes and shows love to Christopher (pg. 87)
• Even when he saw his mother he still didn’t wanna be touched with a full out hug. (pg. 191)

• Denouement

• His dad killed Wellington (pg. 120)
• His mom is not dead (pg 112)

• Resolution

• Mom moves back to Swindon, but mother and father are seperate
• Gets another dog

1. Character Types

• Primary (main characters)

• Christopher

• Secondary (characters that impact main character)

• Father (really low temper), Mrs. Shears, Mother (left because it was for the benefit of Christopher)

• Round (A lot of detail)

• Christopher

• Flat (little detail)

• Mrs. Alexander
• Mr. Shears (had an affair with mother, his name is Roger)
• Mr. Thompson’s brother
• Black Family in house 44
• Mr. & Mrs. Wise
• Rhodri

• Dynamic (character changes)

• Mr. Shears (loves mother, but because of Christopher drops her)

• Static (character stays the same)

• Mrs. Alexander

• Foil (character whose traits oppose another characters traits)

• Father and Mother

Key Passages:

 

• “I kept the piece of paper in my pocket and took it out when I didn’t understand what someone was saying.” (pg. 3)
• “It takes me a long time to get used to people I don’t know.” (pg. 35)
• “Sometimes these things would make Mother and Father very angry, and they would shout at me or shout at each other.” (pg. 47)
• List of problems (pg. 46-47)
• “And what he meant was that maths wasn’t like life because in life there are no straightforward answers at the end.” (pg. 61-62)
• “Lots of things are mysteries. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t an answer to them. It’s just that scientists haven’t found the answer yet.” (pg. 100)
• “Also people think they’re not computers because they have feelings and computers don’t have feelings. But feelings are just having a picture on the screen in your head of what is going to happen tomorrow or the next year, or what might have happened instead of what did happen, and if it is a happy picture they smile and if it is a sad picture they cry.” (pg. 119)
• “I wondered if this was a joke, because I don’t understand jokes, and when people tell jokes they don’t mean what they say.” (pg. 120)
• “You look lost” So I took out my Swiss Army knife.

 

Developing Group Discussion (4 Questions; 2 Open Ended and 2 Surface Level):

1. Day 1

• Why does Christopher want to figure the dog scene out?

• He likes that dog.

• Why is the Father always mad?

• Father and Mother got in a lot fights. The stress of having an

• Why does Mrs. Shears feel the need to take care of Christopher and his Father?

• Mr. Shears isn’t around.

• Why does Christopher go back and forth with the book?

• He gets off track a lot.

1. Day 2

• Who is Roger in the letter from Mother?
• What do you think Father will do if he finds out about Christopher reading the letters?
• Do you think Christopher will be able to meet his mother again?
• What do you think about the passage of which Christopher talks about how his dad doesn’t have much of a temper as his mom?

1. Day 3

• Will he ever meet his mom again?
• He doesn’t really think about stuff and plan it through. He thinks he can do what he wants am I right?
• Why does he care so much about the rat?
• Why does he continue to do things that he doesn’t like in the first place?

1. Day 4

• It seems like everyone is a jerk to him even when they don’t know him am I right?
• Why is everyone in public so rude to him and they don’t know his mental disorder?
• Will Christopher ever be able to forgive his dad?
• Mr. Shears seems to not want to associate with Christopher am I right?

1. Day 5

• Did Mr. Shears hate Christopher or Mother?
• Was the dog worth it? Was it more of a guilt trip?
• The ending kinda stunk, what do you think?
• The plot was kind of dumb right?

 

Presentation Outline:

Introduction:

Hello, I’m Tice Jenkins and the today I will be talking about a book called “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.” This book was a very interesting book with looking at a perspective of a kid with autism, or more specifically Asperger syndrome. I will be helping you understand the background of the book, the structure of the novel, the adversity of the book, and reactions that I had toward the book.

 

Background:

1. Character
   • Asperger – an autistic spectrum disorder that makes social interactions difficult and uncomfortable. In the book it never states this, but he only states he has ‘behavioral issues.’
     • Not good at talking with others
     • Freaks out a lot
2. Historical
   • Swindon, England
     • 1998
3. Author Biography
   • Mark Haddon
     • Born in Northampton, England
     • Graduated from Oxford University in 1981
     • He took on a job that work with children and adults with mental and physical disabilities
     • In 2003 he published the book, “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.”

Structure of Novel:

1. Main Character
   • Christopher
     • Lives in Swindon, England
     • 16 years old and has Asperger
     • Pet rat (Toby)
     • Very good at maths and science
   • Father (Ed)
     • Main caretaker
     • Low tempered
     • Seems stressed
     • Killed Wellington
   • Mother (Judy)
     • Assumed dead
     • High tempered
     • Had an affair with Mr. Shears (Roger)

 

1. Secondary Characters:
   • Mr. Shears
     • Husband of Mrs. Shears, but had an affair with mother, Judy
     • Tends to hate Christopher
   • Mrs. Shears
     • “Mother” to Christopher when Mother Judy is “dead”
     • Neighbor
   • Mrs. Alexander
     • Gives a lot of information to Christopher involving his mother and past neighborhood drama
     • Neighbor
   • Siobhan
     • Christopher’s personal mentor through his autism
2. Story Plot
   • Exposition
     • Swindon, England in 1998
     • Mom “died” 2 years ago (pg. 22)
     • He has autism, or asperger, doesn’t have good social skills or understand other’s emotions
     • Has a lot of things he dislikes (pg. 46)
       • Not talking to people for a long time
       • Not eating or drinking anything for a long time
       • Not like being touched
       • Screams when angry or confused
       • Groaning
       • Not liking yellow or brown things
       • And many more…
     • Says things without thinking, justs says it straight forward, moves around main point (pg. 7)
   • Inciting Incident
     • Right off the bat, we witness inciting an incident with a murder mystery about who killed a dog
     • Hits a cop and gets sent to jail, but gets out with a warning
     • Makes a book about the murder mystery of the dog Wellington, owned by Mrs. Shears
     • Dad gets mad at him for getting his nose into others business about the dog
     • Dad tells him Mr. Shears is a bad man and on his investigation he goes to Mrs. Alexander and asks information about Mr. Shears. Mrs. Alexander shares very private information about his mother having an affair with Mr. Shears
   • Rising Action
     • His father finds out about the book and gets really mad by hitting Christopher and drawing blood. His dad takes the book and hides it (pg.  83)
     • Father later apologizes to him and shows him love (pg. 87)
   • Climax
     • Christopher finds his book and some letters sent from his mom and finally makes the connection that his mother isn’t actually dead (pg. 96-97).
     • His father apologizes again and was trying to make what was best for him and confesses that he killed Wellington (pg. 120).
   • Falling Action
     • Christopher runs away because he thinks that his dad will kill him. He decides to head to London to live with his mom. He brings Toby with him.
     • He has trouble trying to understand how to get to the train station, buying a ticket, and staying away from the police as his dad is trying to figure out where he is
     • After a lot of trouble finally is with his mom and Mr. Shears kind of shows his hate toward Christopher through the tone of his voice (pg.  192)
     • Father comes to the house of Mother and has a huge argument (pg. 196-197).
   • Resolution/Denouement  
     • Goes back to Swindon and his mother moves back to Swindon because Mr. Shears didn’t enjoy Mother, Judy.
     • Christopher gets to see his mom and his dad now
     • Christopher gets a dog

Understanding of Adversity:

 

1. Adversity
   • Family Life
     • Dad hid stuff from him
       • Mom wasn’t dead
       • Letters and the things that happened with his mom and Mr. Shears
         1. “No, Christopher. I’m not sure that you do. I mean that they were very good friends. Very, very good friends.” I thought about this for awhile and said, “Do you mean that they were doing sex?” And Mrs. Alexander said, “Yes, Christopher. That is what I mean” (Haddon 60).
       • Mrs. Alexander had to tell Christopher information about the past with his parents instead of his own dad.
       • His parents always argued
         1. “I use to think that Mother and Father might get divorced. That was because they had lots of arguments and sometimes they hated each other” (Haddon 45)
       • His “step-dad,” Mr. Shears or Roger doesn’t seem to like him when he meets him again. I feel like the way he states this is kind of snappy in away. Also with Mr. Shears breaking up with mother at the end of the book because Mother had a job in Swindon and drover there everyday.
         1. “Are you going to come in or are you going to stay out here all night” (Haddon 192).
       • Overall is family life didn’t help him through the adversity in his life. On top of that his mental illness didn’t help him either.
   • Autism or Asperger
     • Affects His Thinking
       • He thinks in a way that’s more straightforward and gets around the main point. I feel like as a reader Christopher says this is the stereotypical autistic way. That makes it seem like he actually committed the crime. He’s not understanding why the officer is there.
         1. “Why were you holding the dog?” he asked again. “I like dogs,” I said. “Did you kill the dog?” he asked. I said, “I did not kill the dog” (Haddon 7).
       • He memorizes the things that no one else would. He remembers that things to a normal person like us is absolutely pointless, but to him it’s everything. This quote just shows you that he remembers the things that are very abnormal.
         1. On the back of the book it says, “Christopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057. He relates well to animals but has no understanding of human emotions. He cannot stand to be touched. And he detests the color yellow” (Haddon back of book).
     • Emotions of Others
       • He doesn’t totally understand the emotions of others like we do. He doesn’t know when people are sad, happy, bored, and etc. He just kind of acts like everyone are robots in a way. It takes time for Christopher to understand or attempt to understand people. That’s his main struggle in life, which is trying to fit in and be a normal kid. At the end of the book though he gains that confidence that he can do anything
         1. “I kept the piece of paper in my pocket and took it out when I didn’t understand what someone was saying” (Haddon 3).
         2. “And what he meant was that maths wasn’t like life because in life there are no straightforward answers at the end” (Haddon 61-62).
         3. “Also people think they’re not computers because they have feelings and computers don’t have feelings. But feelings are just having a picture on the screen in your head of what is going to happen tomorrow or the next year, or what might have happened instead of what did happen, and if it is a happy picture they smile and if it is a sad picture they cry” (Haddon 119).

Reactions and Applications:

1. Struggle
   • I think that Christopher obviously struggled in his life, dealing with family problems and most of all dealing with a mental problem.
2. Believed
   • Christopher believed in himself and knew he could overcome his struggles by doing what he loves. He did it by being himself and that’s what it’s about to believe
3. Attack
   • After believing he attacked it, or he took initiative to the struggle he had. He found out who killed Wellington, he began to go out of his comfort zone. He talked to get information about his family or the directions to get to London
4. Conquer
   • Once he did all the first three steps he knew he had the last one. At times though you’re not always going to have the last one right away. As Christopher didn’t when his dad hid the book from him. After he continued to press forward and overcome his struggle he was a champion relating to the final quote I showed you on my power point.