Mike Petit-Frere

1. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Mike Petit-Frere

2. Plot Summary One night in Swindon, UK, Christopher finds his neighbours dog dead on her lawn with a garden fork sticking through it. He then decides to write a mystery novel about him trying to find who killed Mrs. Shears’ dog named Wellington. Chris’s father was not too fond of the idea and tells Chris to stop playing detective. Even though Chris was told not to ask around about Wellington’s death he continued retrieving clues. Chris’s great intelligence and curiosity led him to finding letters addressed to him from his mother who he thought had passed away. Since his father kept the letters from him, he no longer trusts his father. Christopher takes this novel to new heights by trying to find his mother who lives in London.

3. Christopher’s Character Sketch • Narration This novel is written by Christopher. He explains his everyday life and explains in a detailed form his logic through the story’s events. His way of thinking is different from everyone around him because of his few disorders. Christopher brilliantly uses his disorders to his advantage because unlike other narrators, he gives us the feeling that were somehow in his brain. It gives the reader the chance to see how it feels to be in his shoes. Also he filled the book with images, diagrams, maps and so forth to make sure that the reader fully comprehends. The only disadvantage is that he’s constantly changing subjects therefore it makes the story a bit harder to follow. • Character traits Christopher is very clever. He sees things differently than most people his age. He is also a very logical and curious person. His brain functions in an interesting way which is not found in many people. He has boundaries set, he can not be in new places before analysing them and having a map drawn in his head to make things logical in his point of view. • Behaviour Christopher is autistic therefore he has several behavioural problems. He doesn't like being touched by people nor being in small spaces with other people. When he feels that he’s under pressure he growls or barks. He’s in a special education class though he feels like he doesn’t deserve to be. His behaviour causes a few problems in the story, especially between his mom and dad.

4. Secondary Characters Mr. Boone: Mr. Boone is Christopher's father. He has been taking care of Christopher ever since his wife left them. Mr Boone is a good father to Christopher. They have a good relationship. Even though it was hard for him to raise his son on his own, he tries his best to be a great role model for Christopher. He is a very patient person with good intentions. Mr Boone shows that he cares by telling Chris, “I’m sorry, Christopher, I’m really sorry” (28). Mrs. Boone: Mrs. Boone is Christopher's mother . She left Christopher and his father for another man. It was hard for her to leave her son behind but she knew it was best for Chris considering he has a better relationship with his father. She now lives in London with her new boyfriend. Mrs Boone explains, “I’m not like your father. Your father is a much more pacient person” (106). Siobhan: Siobhan is Christopher’s teacher at his special needs school. Throughout the book Siobhan constantly gives Christopher advice. She helped Chris read peoples facial expressions to help him understand how they’re feeling. She also helped him write his book, “Siobhan said that the book should begin with something to grab peoples attention” (5).

5. Settings Christopher's school is his place for counselling and to tell Siobhan what’s on his mind. It’s a sort of relaxed relief for Christopher. Also, he gets to do maths at school which he really enjoys. He learned important lessons at school like how to try to fix his behaviour problems, and which behaviour problems he has to work on improving. This setting somehow signifies Christopher’s therapy. The train station was a challenge for Christopher. It was were he had to put himself to a test and see if he can reach his goal. Christopher isn’t used to being in huge places on his own. Also, it was a train station so there’s signs, arrows, directions, turns, intersections and all kinds of things that could easily confuse him or set him off task. This setting signifies how badly Christopher wanted to succeed and how independent he can be. London appeared near the end of the story. It was where Christopher’s mom moved away with Mr. Shears. Though it’s far away from Swindon, Christopher was so determined to be with his mom that he didn’t care about the distance. Plus he had to do it all alone. This setting signifies Christopher’s award at the end of his challenge.

6. Topic and Theme Christopher and logic Christopher has a special way of thinking. Unlike most people, he simply uses his logic to resolve problems that others would struggle with. He finds that many things just need logic thinking instead of unnecessary complications. This makes him stronger physiologically and it also allows him to use his mind as a machine. Christopher and coping with the world Christopher sometimes has troubles cooperating with new people and his surroundings. He has a few habits that most people don’t have. There's certain things that he refuse to even touch because of it’s colour, he tends to growl and bark at people when he’s frustrated and etc. But thanks to Siobhan’s lessons he’s able to work on those issues. Christopher and independence Since Christopher has disabilities people sometimes underestimated him. They don’t think that he shows a lot of signs of being independent through his growth. But he proved them wrong and stunned his parents when he was able to arrive to London on his own. Also he surprising solved the mystery and came to the right conclusion.

7. Symbols Sherlock Holmes represents an idol for Christopher. He admires his way of thinking and solving mysteries. He finds that Sherlock’s logical thinking and his powerful observation skills are similar to his. We later on find that that he was right and he was telling the truth. Christopher looks up to him. Space symbolises one of Christopher’s dreams. It’s like paradise to him. He would be the farthest place away from home just the way he likes it. It would show how independent he could actually be. Also he would get to observe things that most people never get the chance to do in their whole lives. The A-level math test symbolises Christopher’s actual mental capabilities. He loves math with a passion and he finds that he would be able to pass that test with no problem though they don’t expect him to. He also uses it to show that he has his future planned out and he knows where that test could lead him to later on in his life. That shows that he cares about his future.

8. Genre Bildungsroman is a book genre that shows how the character develops and mentally grows as the story goes on. This makes The Curious Incident an extremely inspirational book, especially for people that lack a bit of determination or fortitude. Christopher made the impossible possible just by building up his perseverance more and more. It gives the reader an influential moral if they read it outside of the box. Detective fiction is a book genre where a detective needs to use hints and clues to investigate a crime. In this case Christopher was the detective. This grasp the reader’s curiosity and gives them the urge to continue reading. It makes you want to know who committed the crime though it isn’t the story’s main point. Quest narrative is a book genre in which the plot is based on the main character that has to go through challenges to reach their goal. This not only makes the storyline progress well, but it also shows the reward earned from hard work. That allows you to understand how he set his goals and actually accomplished them. It somehow makes Christopher seem like a hero.