Point summary

the curious incident of the dog in the night time.

 Mark Haddon
 226 pages

Murder by stabbing of neighbor's dog leads to a family disaster

This is a different type of novel as it is an original genre where the author is recounting his story of writing another book. The author/main character appears to have a mental disability (asperger's)  with many odd likings and dislikes. It's a curious journey of going into someone with a very busy brain and what the problems they experience with our normal society.

Setting: 

• Recent/modern times
• London suburb (Swindon). Middle class
• Protagonist is narrator, narrating on his story of writing a novel

Setting plays an important role in Chris' likes and dislikes. He decides if he is going to have a good day by the number of cars of the same color that passes by. The more the colors the more awesome it's going to be. For this reason if cars didn't exist his personality would differ. Chris also has difficulty in stressful and busy environments that a city would present, meaning the decisions he makes under the environment become less responsible the more he has to think about (which we will soon find out further on in the novel).

Theme:

• Truth vs. Lies
• Self forwarding (Mother vs. family)
• Love 

• Grudges

It's no doubt that telling the truth is harder than lieing in some cases, which Ed experiences in a very serious matter. Ed lies to his own son about his mother dieing and not letting him see her, when in reality he's hiding all the letters she is sending Chris to let him know she loves him and is doing well off in London with Mr. Shears.

Judy Boone goes through a dillema between persuing her future with Mr. Shears and leaving her son and husband (soon to be ex). She ends up taking that decision, leaving Ed & Chris without notice while they're at work and school. They come to find her missing. In the letters she recounts how it was the most difficult decision she's ever had to take and misses him but Ed won't even let her ring him let alone enter the house.

She recounts how she never fit in with the family and never feeled loved as much as Ed.

Mrs. Shears holds  a grudge on the Boone family because of Judy cheating with her husband. Ed still holds a grudge with Mr. Shears and his wife Judy for cheating and leaving him. I doubt forgiveness will be gave, especially with the murder of the family dog proving this.

Character:

• Secondary characters impact:  -Little. Mrs Shears impact on Ed and events that followed
• -Chris' pet mouse (Toby) put him in life threatening situation
• -Mrs. Alexander large impact. Exposes family secret of cheating scandal. Guides Chris in right path 
• -Sandy (puppy) Recreates father & son bond

https://docs.google.com/document/d/188HEJvqNYMFRZCPoZjKruoJA2SBvubDmUAhf1wHarPw/edit

Conflict: 

• Chris vs. Parents (Interactions with family, before and after discovering the truth)
• Chris vs.Society (Interactions with strangers and his neighbourhood)
• Boones vs. Shears (Interactions with the two families)
• Chris vs. Nature (Interactions with dogs)
• Chris vs. Siobhan (Interactions with friend/teacher)

Chris difficult schedule and likings put much stress on their caretakers to fill them. The stress leads to violence and breakups. Chris does not obey his fathers request not to play detective on the case of Wellington (Ed is guilty). 

Chris' disorder makes him very defensive, especially with physical contact which we learnt when the police touched Chris to move him from dog, he striked the officer resulting in his arrest (released later charge-free). Another example of this is even after not seeing his mother and believing she has passed (turned into a tree, as Chris believes) he freaks out when she hugs him but more prefers a hand holding gesture.

Chris has a soft spot with dogs. He has always wanted one, and finally does at the end but stays in his father's house so Chris visits Ed more often to try and rebuild their relationship.

"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. " -Chris Boone pg.3-4"

You may of noticed the rainy background. I chose this as it reflects the sadness and depression the characters experience. I got a feeling of a blurry vision through this journey Chris has, almost like reading through a rainy window, difficult to comprehend with the random details (goblets) and events (raindrops) of what the outcome will be. Also for the reason that Chris likes rain because it occupies his brain but not really as said here.."“On the fifth day, which was a Sunday, it rained very hard. I like it when it rains hard. It sounds like white noise everywhere, which is like silence but not empty.”"