Mark Haddon's Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night

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Normality is a subjective, relative concept: a conundrum, an enigma, and an illusion. By accepting this definition, mentally disabled individuals (this is good however, there is an argument to say that the nature of Chris condition and his high functioning is some ares cast doubt on whether 'disabled' is an accurate term. can be considered as 'normal' members of society. However, 'normality' is a function of one's knowledge and environment?? - unclearThe novel Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, by Mark Haddon, encourages the adolescent reader to empathise with the protagonist, Christopher, despite his autism giving rise to perceptible differences. Haddon achieves this through narrative techniques, such as first person narration,…show more content…
Mother had not died. Mother had been alive all the time. And Father had lied about this.” The repetition of “Mother” conveys Christopher's robotic thought process. He struggles to believe that his mother is alive, as this would mean his father has lied, and breached his basic value of honesty. This impedes his ability to trust his father, and their relationship deteriorates as a result. Any adolescent may face similar problems to Christopher, such as strained family relationships or the death of a close friend or pet. By incorporating issues that are universal and hence comprehensible to all adolescents, Haddon offers a narrative that his adolescent audience can relate to and empathise with. Subsequently, the adolescent reader is encouraged to see him or herself in Christopher, and the social and emotional struggles he encounters, rather than be alienated by his differences. As teenagers grow older, their desire for independence strengthens. During the course of the novel, Christopher faces and overcomes various trials, gains confidence in his abilities, and gradually becomes more self-sufficient and independent. This is denoted when he rebels against his father, and fantasises about the future, namely his trip to London. The
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