Williamson i

Mac Williamson

University English II

Mrs. E. Richardson

18 November 2013

A Unique Perspective in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Thesis: Because Christopher, instead of his father or an unknown entity, is the narrator of the

novel, the reader can observe more than just his disability because of his views on various topics,

reactions to social situations, and standards that he tries to live up to.

I. Views on various topics

A. Scientific topics

1. Sherlock Holmes and detective work

2. Topics in astronomy and math

B. Social topics

1. Believes “chit-chat” is silly

2. Has trouble keeping up with facial expressions and non-literal terms

C. His mindset

1. Doing various forms of math when he is upset or overwhelmed

2. What determines a good day for Christopher

II. Reactions to social situations

A. Situations with his family and friends

1. Interaction between Christopher and his father

2. Interaction between Christopher and the school staff

B. Situations with strangers

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1. Interactions with neighbors

2. Interactions with people he has never before met

III. Standards that he works to live up to

A. Social standards

1. Refusal to talk to strangers unless the situation makes it necessary

2. Determines that his father is not safe to be around because he lied about

something major

B. Academic standards

1. He strives to take his maths A level

2. Aspirations to go to university and become a scientist

Williamson 1

Mac Williamson

Mrs. E. Richardson

University English II

18 November 2013

A Unique Perspective in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

In Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, fifteen year-old

Christopher Boone is determined to find out who killed his neighbor’s dog, Wellington. When

Christopher discovers that his father killed the dog, he decides to travel to London to live with

his mother, who he believed had passed away years before until learning otherwise. Christopher

also suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome, which affects nearly all of his actions in the novel. He

finds it difficult to interact with people, but he finds it easy to comprehend advanced

mathematics and physics topics. The novel is told from the perspective of Christopher, which

gives the reader insight about how Christopher thinks. Since Christopher, instead of his father or

an unknown entity, is the narrator of the novel, the reader can observe more than just his

disability because of his views on sophisticated topics, reactions to social situations, and

standards that he tries to live up to.

Christopher’s position as narrator allows the reader to understand his stance on scientific

topics, such as Sherlock Holmes and the science behind solving mysteries. Christopher narrates

the story in a way that places his views on these topics between chapters of the storyline. He

analyzes The Hound of the Baskervilles and explains the reasons why he enjoys it; he also

criticizes the book for a few of its qualities. When talking about the novel, Christopher states, “I

like The Hound of the Baskervilles because it is a detective story, which means that there are

Williamson 2

clues and Red Herrings” (Haddon 71). Christopher then goes on to explain what clues and Red

Herrings are present in the novel. He also mentions, “I also like The Hound of the Baskervilles

because I like Sherlock Holmes and I think that if I were a proper detective he is the kind of

detective I would be” (73). Christopher identifies with this renowned detective because he is

aware that he possesses the sharp observational ability and deductive reasoning skills that give

Sherlock Holmes his reputation. If any other character held the position of narrator in the novel,

the narrator would interpret Christopher’s observational abilities as an inability to focus on the

big picture and see it as a deficit instead of a benefit. Vivienne Muller points out that these

qualities are a gift in Christopher that he likes to strengthen, and she says, “In Sherlock Holmes

mysteries there is a similar [straightforward] reassuring formula based on an anchoring logic and

the exercise of acute observational powers,” (3). Christopher’s obsession with Sherlock Holmes

is seen as something that makes him skilled when it comes to detective work, since he describes

his perception of Holmes and his aspirations to emulate Holmes.

The reader is able to gain insight on how gifted Christopher is in the fields of

mathematics and astronomy because he dedicates a few chapters of his writing to discussing

these topics. In chapter 101, Christopher describes the Monty Hall Problem, which is a problem

that cannot be solved with intuition. He includes this chapter because the school psychologist,

Mr. Jeavons, tells Christopher the reason why he enjoys mathematics; Christopher paraphrases,

“He said I liked maths because it meant solving problems, and these problems were difficult and

interesting but there was always a straightforward answer at the end” (61). Christopher, however,

believes that not all math problems have a straightforward answer, and he uses his analysis of the

Monty Hall Problem to prove this point. Christopher’s ability to comprehend a mathematical

problem that many mathematics professors solved incorrectly shows his prowess in mathematics.

Williamson 3

If another character had been made to be the narrator of the novel, Christopher’s knowledge in

mathematics would have been seen as senseless rambling; however, since Christopher is the

narrator, the reader can see that Christopher’s mind explores complex mathematical topics that

many people would never be able to think of without assistance.

In another chapter, Christopher provides details about the Milky Way galaxy and the

science behind starlight. He states, “Our galaxy is a huge disk of stars millions of light-years

across, and the solar system is somewhere near the outside edge of the disk” (9). From just this

statement, the reader is able to determine that Christopher has obtained some knowledge about

astronomy. Christopher also points out that scientists used to be unsure of why the night sky

wasn’t completely filled with starlight, and he recounts, “Then [the scientists] worked out that

the universe was expanding, that the stars were all rushing away from one another after the Big

Bang…. I like this fact. It is something you can work out in your own mind just by looking at the

sky above your head at night” (10). This analysis shows that Christopher thinks almost strictly

with logic and that logical thinking comes very easily to him but not as easily to others. Stefani

Ciocia claims, “Christopher is a unique, highly eccentric individual whose point of view forces

us to have a look at everyday life from a radically new perspective, and to reconsider

what we take for granted” (8). Christopher’s mental musing about the Milky Way and the

universe takes place right after he assaults a police officer; a character that isn’t on the autism

spectrum would feel remorse or anger after this event, but Christopher is able to detach himself

and retreat to his comfort zone that is astronomy and logical thinking.

When it comes to human interaction, Christopher experiences difficulty and confusion.

However, since he is the narrator of the novel, the reader is able to see why Christopher acts the

way he does during social situations. Christopher shows how the banal interactions between

Williamson 4

people are strange and unnecessary. When speaking to his neighbor, Mrs. Alexander, who is

trying to engage him in idle conversation, Christopher mentions, “I didn’t reply to this …

because Mrs. Alexander was doing what is called chatting, where people say things to each other

which aren’t questions and answers aren’t connected” (40). When seen from Christopher’s point

of view, the social interactions between people that are deemed “typical” are actually bizarre.

The irony employed here is that Christopher seems to be the normal one when other people are

struggling in social interaction. Muller points out, “[A]s seen through Christopher’s eyes….

adults for example are portrayed as ‘disabled’ by emotions such as jealousy in the case of

Christopher’s father… or handicapped by the frustrations of raising a disabled child… as

Christopher’s mother is” (4). Christopher’s stoic nature is seen as a benefit in the novel because

he does not have to go through odd social rituals such as idle conversation for his interaction to

seem normal to him.

A characteristic that Christopher shares with many children and adults who have been

diagnosed with autism is difficulty comprehending many facial expressions. These expressions

that many people display frequently confuse and frustrate Christopher because he feels they are

not necessary. He enjoys the company of animals, such as dogs and his rat, Toby, because they

are much easier for him to understand than humans are. Shortly after he finds Wellington

murdered on the front lawn, Christopher mentions, “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” (3-4). Christopher provides pictures of human

facial expressions that his teacher, Siobhan, drew for him and that he cannot identify. When the

reader sees these pictures, he can identify the situations that the faces would be used in, but he

has trouble labeling the faces themselves.

Williamson 5

Christopher also has trouble understanding figurative language, such as metaphors. He

explains some metaphors and the flawed logic behind them. He states, “[P]eople often talk using

metaphors. These are examples of metaphors… They had a skeleton in the cupboard. We had a

real pig of a day…. I think it should be called a lie because a pig is not like a day and people do

not have skeletons in their cupboards” (15). Christopher believes that this type of language is

silly, and his perspective allows the reader to see how absurd parts of typical language can be.

Ciocia notes, “Christopher identifies the former [metaphors] with lies because, to paraphrase Dr.

Johnson’s famous critique of the outlandish conceits of metaphysical poetry, they yoke the most

heterogeneous ideas by violence together” (5). Christopher sees absolutely no reason for two

completely unrelated things to be called the same thing, and he believes that doing this is nothing

short of lying. The reader, when viewing this blatant exposure of the oddity that is figurative

language, is made to wonder why such a strange concept is treated as though it is typical.

Christopher’s method of determining if a day is going to be good or bad seems eccentric

and different from what someone who is considered typical would do, but this daily process that

he performs actually serves as a way to bridge the distance between the typical mind and the

autistic mind. Christopher determines how a day will be by counting the cars that pass his bus on

the way to school. He states, “4 red cars in a row made it a Good Day, and 3 red cars in a row

made it a Quite Good Day, and 5 red cars in a row made it a Super Good Day, and… 4 yellow

cars in a row made it a Black Day, which is a day when I… Take No Risks” (24). This behavior

that is almost superstitious is very out of character for Christopher, but he does explain why he

engages in this behavior. He continues, and mentions, “I liked things to be in a nice order. And

one way of things being in a nice order was to be logical…. But there were other ways of putting

things in a nice order. And that was why I had Good Days and Black Days” (24). His

Williamson 6

explanation for classifying days helps the reader to understand his thought process a little more.

Those who are not on the autism spectrum also engage in superstitious behavior when it comes

to determining how a day’s events will affect them; when a day begins poorly for someone, it is

common for them to believe the rest of the day will go poorly, and they believe the same for a

day that begins well. People who engage in this behavior, though, rely on the ideas of luck and

chance, while Christopher manages to put reason into his behavior. Ian Hacking points out,

“Often the word [neurotypicals] is used in a disparaging way; we neurotypicals just do not

understand anything” (6). The reader comes to realize that Christopher shares similarities with

those who are not on the autism spectrum and that Christopher puts bases his behaviors on logic

and reasoning while those who are considered typical do not.

Christopher’s social interactions with the characters in the novel help give the reader

perspective on how Christopher sees himself and others during these interactions. If another

character held the position of narrator, the character would assert that the difficulty during social

interaction is caused by Christopher. However, since the novel is told from Christopher’s point

of view, the reader sees far fewer social wrongdoings caused by Christopher. When Christopher

and his father are driving home from the police station, Christopher seems calm and collected

during the entire conversation, while his father has his thoughts clouded by emotion. For

Christopher, there is no rising tension during this conversation, but for his father, the tension

mounts until he lashes at Christopher. Christopher describes this lashing by saying, “Then Father

banged the steering wheel with his fist and… he shouted, ‘I said leave it, for God’s sake’” (21).

Christopher manages to be unaffected by this event, and he only stops speaking during the car

ride because he does not want to further upset his father. Muller asserts, “Reading the novel as

the representation of the Asperger’s individual as speaking subject, the text is seen as a positive

Williamson 7

articulation of disability as ability” (4). Christopher’s inability to be perturbed by his father’s

anger serves the purpose to show that Christopher has more control over his emotions than his

father does.

Christopher makes the distinction in the novel that if he is not given clear, explicit

instructions for a task, then he becomes confused. When Christopher’s father wants him to stop

trying to figure out who killed Wellington, he gives instructions that Christopher does not

believe he has to follow because they are not specific enough. Christopher states, “I don’t know

what Father means when he says ‘Stay out of other people’s business’ because… I do lots of

things with people, at school and in the shop and on the bus…. And all of these things are other

people’s business” (29). Christopher does point out, though, that there is one person, Siobhan,

who does give him specific directions that he can understand. Christopher elaborates, saying,

“She [Siobhan] once said, ‘If you want to go on the swings and there are already people on the

swings, you must never push them off. You must ask them if you can have a go. And then you

must wait until they have finished’” (29-30). Christopher mentions many times that he likes her

specificity, and the nature of their relationship is never tense. She enjoys helping Christopher

with his endeavors, and she tries to calm him down when he feels as though a crisis is occurring.

Muller analyzes this interaction, stating, “Her [Siobhan’s] careful and sensitive relationship with

Christopher does not render him a special case or an object of pity; rather it is respectful and

encouraging of his uniqueness and capacity to self-reflect” (4-5). Siobhan does not treat

Christopher as though his disability takes over his entire being; rather, she sees what others

consider a disability as just personality quirks, never detracting from his character.

Christopher is averse to speaking to people with whom he is not very familiar. When he

decides to engage in detective work to discover who killed Wellington, he understands that he

Williamson 8

must overcome this aversion to find out more about the case. Even speaking to neighbors is a

challenging task for Christopher, and he explains why. He explains, “I do not like talking to

strangers. This is not because of Stranger Danger…. I do not like strangers because I do not

like people I have never met before. They are hard to understand” (34). Social interaction is a

task that Christopher prefers to take slowly so he can fully understand that the person with whom

he is interacting is not a threat to him; however, in the scenarios he puts himself in, he must

speak directly with his neighbors, and this puts him in a state of discomfort. Often, he has

difficulty thinking of things to say in these social situations because they move so quickly and

unpredictably. Hacking notes, “The difficulties of speech experienced by many autistic people

are not an independent aspect of autism but derive from such prior social impairments, in

particular the simple inability to readily grasp what another person is intending to do” (22).

Christopher has trouble determining how the course of a conversation will go when he is

speaking to someone he does not often speak to, so he becomes nervous and confused.

While Christopher is the one who experiences social difficulties, the perspective that the

reader is given is that the people who are interacting with Christopher are the ones who are

disabled. In particular, the people who Christopher meets on his journey from Swindon to

London are rather eccentric in their interactions. When Christopher wants a map to find the train

station to get to London, he asks a woman he sees walking by. Christopher states, “[S]he laughed

and she said, ‘You don’t need a map to get to the train station.’ And I said, ‘I do, because I don’t

know where the train station is.’ And she said, ‘You can see it from here.’ And I said, ‘No I

can’t…. How do I get to that building?’ And she said, ‘Gordon Bennett’” (138). The woman is

frustrated with Christopher for asking so many questions about the train station, but he prefers

things to be as specific as possible so there is no misunderstanding. Bill Greenwell points out,

Williamson 9

“The Curious Incident is a comic rite of passage novel, in which the central character has to live

with the dysfunctional adults around him” (12). The woman seems to be at fault in this scenario

because she does not explain things in the detailed manner that Christopher is satisfied with.

Christopher’s standards in life are major components of his character that help to shift

focus from his disability and to make him a more unique individual. Socially, Christopher lives

by a set of strict guidelines that he has set that optimize his safety and comfort in social

situations. Because of these guidelines, Christopher does not interact with strangers unless the

situation he is in makes it necessary. After Christopher is saved from being run over by a train, a

woman approaches him to see if he is alright. He recalls, “[S]he said, ‘Is there anything I can do

to help you?’ And if she was a teacher at school I could have said, ‘Where is 451c Chapter Road,

Willesden, London NW2 5NG?’ but she was a stranger, so I said, ‘Stand further away,’ because I

didn’t like her being so close” (184). Since the novel is told from Christopher’s perspective, the

reader has already been exposed to the social guidelines he lives by and the thought process he

undergoes for social situations, so the reader can understand that Christopher does not feel safe

having extended interaction with this woman he has never met before.

Christopher’s standards are the primary cause behind why Christopher leaves his father’s

house to live with his mother. Since Christopher is unable to tell a lie, he does not feel safe

around his father when he found out that his father lied about something. Christopher details this

thought process, stating, “I had to get out of the house. Father had murdered Wellington. That

meant he could murder me, because I couldn’t trust him, even though he had said “Trust me,”

because he had told a lie about a big thing” (122). Christopher does not feel safe because his

father committed murder and told a lie, so he believes that his father is capable of murdering

him. Muller asserts, “The logic is simple and understandable… his father has lied about and

Williamson 10

killed Wellington; conclusion- his life is in danger if he stays with his father, therefore he must

leave for London to find his mother” (4). Seeing Christopher’s thought process allows the reader

to easily see why he decides to leave his father’s house and live with his mother.

Christopher’s strong abilities in the fields of mathematics and astronomy help to

individualize him from both those who are not on the autism spectrum and those who are.

Having the novel told from Christopher’s perspective is what allows the reader to see just how

bright of a young individual Christopher really is. Christopher mentions multiple times

throughout the novel that he has aspirations to go to university and become an astronaut, but he

understands that he must start preparing early by taking his A-level maths exam. His standards

for excelling in life are shown when he mentions, “And after I’ve taken A-level maths I am

going to take A-level further maths and physics and then I can go to university” (45).

Christopher’s plans to take these exams and excel in these fields are important to him, and this

can be seen when it seems that he will be unable to take his A-level maths exam for the year.

When he is unsure if he can take the exam, he talks to his mother, recalling, “And I asked Mother

if I could do my maths A level the next day…. And Mother said, ‘I told you. I rang your

headmistress…. I told her you’d do it next year’…. And my chest began hurting again…. And I

didn’t sleep that night either” (209-210). The reader is able to see that Christopher is passionate

about his studies in math, and that when something impedes his ability to excel in that field, he

becomes very upset. Ian Hacking notes that Christopher’s prowess in mathematics is very

uncommon, even among children and young adults with special needs, when he states, “The

autistic children, thereby learn how they are expected to be. Role models are important, but not if

they make you think you can ace mathematics by the time you are thirteen years of age” (14).

Williamson 11

Christopher’s advanced mathematics skills are a major component that differentiates him from

most of the world’s population.

Christopher’s position as the narrator of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-

Time distances him from being classified as merely an autistic child and instead depicts him as a

unique, dynamic individual. His views on a variety of topics, including academic and social

topics, help to show that he has likes and dislikes and give reasons behind why he has those likes

and dislikes. His social reactions give the reader perspective as to why he acts the way he does in

social situations, and they seem to depict those who Christopher interacts with as having a social

deficit. The standards that Christopher tries to uphold and live up to show that he is a very

determined individual who strives to be the best at the things that he is interested in. Due to all of

these factors, the reader is able to see beyond Christopher’s disability.

Williamson 12

Works Cited

Ciocia, Stefania. “Postmodern Investigations: The Case of Christopher Boone in The Curious

Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.” Children’s Literature in Education 40.4 (2009): 320-

332. Literary Reference Center. Web. 17 Sept. 2013.

Greenwell, Bill. “The Curious Incidence of Novels About Asperger's Syndrome.” Children’s

Literature in Education 35.3 (2004): 271-284. Literary Reference Center. Web. 17 Sept.

2013.

Hacking, Ian. “Autism Fiction: A Mirror of an Internet Decade?” University of Toronto

Quarterly 79.2 (2010): 632-655. Literary Reference Center. Web. 17 Sept. 2013.

Haddon, Mark. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. New York: Vintage, 2003.

Print.

Muller, Vivienne. “Constituting Christopher: Disability Theory and Mark Haddon’s: The

Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.” Papers: Explorations into Children’s

Literature 16.2 (2006): 118+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 17 Sept. 2013.

Williamson i

Mac Williamson

University English II

Mrs. E. Richardson

12 January 2014

A Unique Perspective in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Thesis: Because Christopher, instead of his father or an unknown entity, is the narrator of the

novel, the reader can observe more than just his disability because of his views on various topics,

reactions to social situations, and standards that he tries to live up to.

IV. Views on various topics

A. Scientific topics

1. Sherlock Holmes and detective work

2. Topics in astronomy and math

B. Social topics

1. Believes “chit-chat” is silly

2. Has trouble keeping up with facial expressions

C. His mindset

1. Does not understand figurative language

2. What determines a good day for Christopher

V. Reactions to social situations

A. Situations with his family and friends

1. Interaction between Christopher and his father

2. Interaction between Christopher and the school staff

B. Situations with strangers

Williamson ii

1. Interactions with neighbors

2. Interactions with people he has never before met

VI. Standards that he works to live up to

A. Social standards

1. Refusal to talk to strangers unless the situation makes it necessary

2. Determines that his father is not safe to be around because he lied about

something major

B. Academic standards

1. Strives to take his maths A level

2. Aspirations to go to university and become a scientist

Williamson 2

clues and Red Herrings” (Haddon 71). Christopher then goes on to explain what clues and Red

Herrings are present in the novel. He also mentions, “I also like The Hound of the Baskervilles

because I like Sherlock Holmes and I think that if I were a proper detective he is the kind of

detective I would be” (73). Christopher identifies with this renowned detective because he is

aware that he possesses the sharp observational ability and deductive reasoning skills that give

Sherlock Holmes his reputation. If any other character held the position of narrator in the novel,

the narrator would interpret Christopher’s observational abilities as an inability to focus on the

big picture and see it as a deficit instead of a benefit. Vivienne Muller points out that these

qualities are a gift in Christopher that he likes to strengthen, and she says, “In Sherlock Holmes

mysteries there is a similar [straightforward] reassuring formula based on an anchoring logic and

the exercise of acute observational powers” (3). Christopher’s obsession with Sherlock Holmes

is seen as something that makes him skilled when it comes to detective work, since he describes

his perception of Holmes and his aspirations to emulate Holmes.

The reader is also able to gain insight on how gifted Christopher is in the fields of mathematics

and astronomy because he dedicates a few chapters of his writing to discussing these topics. In

chapter 101, Christopher describes the Monty Hall Problem, which is a problem that cannot be

solved with intuition. He includes this chapter because the school psychologist, Mr. Jeavons,

tells Christopher the reason why he enjoys mathematics; Christopher paraphrases by stating, “He

said I liked maths because it meant solving problems, and these problems were difficult and

interesting but there was always a straightforward answer at the end” (61). Christopher, however,

believes that not all math problems have a straightforward answer, and he uses his analysis of the

Monty Hall Problem to prove this point. Christopher’s ability to comprehend a mathematical

problem that many mathematics professors solved incorrectly shows

Williamson 4

people are strange and unnecessary. When speaking to his neighbor, Mrs. Alexander, who is

trying to engage him in idle conversation, Christopher mentions, “I didn’t reply to this …

because Mrs. Alexander was doing what is called chatting, where people say things to each other

which aren’t questions and answers aren’t connected” (40). When seen from Christopher’s point

of view, the social interactions between people that are deemed “typical” are actually bizarre.

The irony employed here is that Christopher seems to be the normal one when other people are

struggling in social interaction. Muller points out, “[A]s seen through Christopher’s eyes….

adults for example are portrayed as ‘disabled’ by emotions such as jealousy in the case of

Christopher’s father… or handicapped by the frustrations of raising a disabled child… as

Christopher’s mother is” (4). Christopher’s stoic nature, something beyond his disability, is seen

as a benefit in the novel because he does not have to go through odd social rituals such as idle

conversation for his interaction to seem normal to him.

A characteristic that Christopher shares with many children and adults who have been diagnosed

with autism is difficulty comprehending many facial expressions. These expressions that many

people display frequently confuse and frustrate Christopher because he feels they are not

necessary. Because animals, such as dogs and his rat, Toby, are much easier for him to

understand than humans are, Christopher enjoys the company of animals. Shortly after he finds

Wellington murdered on the front lawn, Christopher mentions, “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” (3-4). Christopher provides pictures of

human facial expressions that his teacher, Siobhan, drew for him and that he cannot identify.

When the reader sees these pictures, he can identify the situations that the faces would be used

in, but the reader has trouble labeling the faces themselves.

Williamson 6

explanation for classifying days helps the reader to understand his thought process a little more.

Those who are not on the autism spectrum also engage in superstitious behavior when it comes

to determining how a day’s events will affect them; when a day begins poorly for someone, it is

common for him to believe the rest of the day will go poorly, and he believes the same for a day

that begins well. People who engage in this behavior, though, rely on the ideas of luck and

chance, while Christopher manages to put reason into his behavior. Ian Hacking points out,

“Often the word [neurotypicals] is used in a disparaging way; we neurotypicals just do not

understand anything” (6). The reader comes to realize that Christopher shares similarities with

those who are not on the autism spectrum and that Christopher puts bases his behaviors on logic

and reasoning while those who are considered typical do not.

Christopher’s social interactions with the characters in the novel help give the reader perspective

on how Christopher sees himself and others during these interactions. If another character held

the position of narrator, the character would assert that the difficulty during social interaction is

caused by Christopher. However, since the novel is told from Christopher’s point of view, the

reader sees far fewer social wrongdoings caused by Christopher. When Christopher and his

father are driving home from the police station, Christopher seems calm during the entire

conversation, while his father has his thoughts clouded by emotion. For Christopher, there is no

rising tension during this conversation, but for his father, the tension mounts until he lashes at

Christopher. Christopher describes this lashing by saying, “Then Father banged the steering

wheel with his fist and… he shouted, ‘I said leave it, for God’s sake’” (21). Christopher manages

to be unaffected by this event, and he only stops speaking during the car ride because he does not

want to further upset his father. Muller asserts, “Reading the novel as the representation of the

Asperger’s individual as speaking subject, the text is seen as a positive articulation of disability

Williamson 10

killed Wellington; conclusion--his life is in danger if he stays with his father, therefore he must

leave for London to find his mother” (4). Seeing Christopher’s thought process allows the reader

to easily see why he decides to leave his father’s house and live with his mother.

Christopher’s strong abilities in the fields of mathematics and astronomy help to individualize

him from both those who are not on the autism spectrum and those who are. Having the novel

narrated from Christopher’s perspective is what allows the reader to see just how bright a young

person Christopher really is. Christopher mentions multiple times throughout the novel that he

has aspirations to go to university and become an astronaut, but he understands that he must start

preparing early by taking his A-level maths exam. His standards for excelling in life are shown

when he mentions, “And after I’ve taken A-level maths I am going to take A-level further maths

and physics and then I can go to university” (45). Christopher’s plans to take these exams and

excel in these fields are important to him, and this can be seen when it seems that he will be

unable to take his A-level maths exam for the year. When he is unsure if he can take the exam,

he talks to his mother, recalling, “And I asked Mother if I could do my maths A level the next

day…. And Mother said, ‘I told you. I rang your headmistress…. I told her you’d do it next

year’…. And my chest began hurting again…. And I didn’t sleep that night either” (209-210).

The reader is able to see that Christopher is passionate about his studies in math, and that when

something impedes his ability to excel in that field, he becomes upset. Ian Hacking notes that

Christopher’s prowess in mathematics is rare, even among children and young adults with

special needs, when he states, “The autistic children, thereby learn how they are expected to be.

Role models are important, but not if they make you think you can ace mathematics by the time

you are thirteen years of age” (14).