“3.3% of 13 to 18 year olds have experienced a seriously debilitating depressive disorder” (“Depression” 3). Living in a world of perfection and happiness as a teenager is not part of the status quo. The ordinary teenager lives a life of depression and loneliness. Teenagers spend their years trying to affiliate themselves with society. This process takes self-sacrifice and abandoning those who love them the most. In The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, a novel written by Mark Haddon, Christopher Boone is the main character. Whereas Craig Gilner is the main character in Ned Vizzini’s novel, It’s Kind of a Funny Story. Both characters must find their way into society by fighting their fears and realizing who they are. As a matter of fact, Haddon’s and Vizzini’s novels realistically portray the life of a teenager by using main characters who deal with depression, gain independence, and progress through Bildungsroman. Christopher Boone is an autistic teenager who is coping with depression. Some people think depression is when someone is feeling melancholy, or gloomy, but depression is a long-term illness that affects someone and the people around them by obstructing that person to live a normal life (“Depression” 1). Christopher cannot live an everyday life because of his condition. He has the inability to comprehend what people tell him. This is exhibited when he does not understand his father’s joke (Haddon 8). In addition to not being able to comprehend, he also feels trapped when he is around a crowd of people. This is revealed when he is on the train and he states, “There were lots of people on the train and I didn’t like that because I don’t like lots of people I don't know and I hate it even more if I am ... ... middle of paper ... ...ression is not a downfall, it is simply an obstacle that a teenager has to overcome. Works Cited "Depression." NMH - Depression. National Institute of Mental Health. 1, 3. Web. 6 April 2014. Haddon, Mark. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. New York: Vintage Contemporaries, 2004. 4, 8, 120, 133, 158, 184, 204, 220, 221. Print. Hader, Suzanne. "The Bildungsroman Genre." The Bildungsroman Genre: Great Expectations, Aurora Leigh, and Waterland. The Victorian Web, 21 February 2005. Web. 6 April 2014. Mukherjee, Siddhartha. "Post-Prozac Nation: The Science and History of Treating Depression." New York Times. 19 April 2012: 3-4. Web. 6 April. 2014. "The Victorian Bildungsroman." . Stanford University. Web. 6 April 2014. Vizzini, Ned . It's Kind of a Funny Story. New York: Hyperion Paperbacks, 2007. 11, 12, 14-5, 27, 136, 148, 161, 168-9, 199, 444. Print.
Winters, Kelly. "Critical Essay on Night." Nonfiction Classics for Students: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Nonfiction Works. Ed. David M. Galens, Jennifer Smith, and Elizabeth Thomason. Vol. 4. Detroit: Gale, 2002. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 15 Jan. 2014.
In The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Mark Haddon educates the audience about how betrayal
Do you ever feel annoyed, frustrated and above all, alone because you are just simply different? Fifteen-year-old Christopher Boone experiences this every day due to his autism disorder. Christopher struggles with understanding people, dealing with new surroundings and expressing himself. In the curious incident of the dog in the night-time, Christopher proves that despite these deficits, he can find independence in the world.
Beck, A. T., Steer, R. A., & Brown, G. (1996). Beck Depression Inventory-II. Retrieved August 18, 2011from EBSCOhost.
Marc Haddon’s novel, the curious incident of the dog in the night-time, is a true Bildungsroman novel, a story that chronicles the coming-of-age of a central character. However, Haddon’s novel is refreshingly unique from typical tales of adventure and self-discovery. The novel turns to everyday life to communicate the story of Christopher John Francis Boone, the fifteen-year-old, autistic narrator. Instead of a dastardly antagonist, the staggering differences between the novel’s two physical settings of Swindon and London present many obstacles for the narrator and give rise to the evolution and development of Christopher’s character throughout the novel.
In The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon wrote this book from a point of view many people don’t hear or see from. This book was by far my favorite one because of its push to make you think deeply. Christopher’s autism shows things in a different light which is needed because if you never see from other views you can’t truly grow as a person. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time makes people think on struggles and problems that people often don’t like to truly dig in on. If you look into other people’s views of the world and how they process things it brings in new elements into your life. Christopher’s voice is on many don’t focus on or ignore because they believe if it doesn’t have to do with them
Haddon, Mark. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time New York Gallery Books, 2003.
Chakaburtty, Amal. "Atypical Depression." 12 Sep 2009. n.pag. Depression Health Center. Web. 13 Nov 2011.
Have you ever felt isolated from the society because of something you are not responsible for? Mark Haddon in this story talks through the eyes of a fifteen year old autistic boy who is living in a troubled family due to his mother’s desires and his complications. Being autistic isn’t bad, it’s just the way people understand you. In this story the main character, Christopher, is facing problems facing the world due to autism and see’s the world in a remarkably different way. Through the mind of Christopher the story takes us through a journey that we would never experience. The story takes place in Swindon, United Kingdom and Haddon talks about many different ways to reveal the complexity of the story through character’s, conflicts and symbols,
Overall, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is important because it gives examples of great insights. The book teaches us how curiosity can lead to privacy invading, trouble and shock. However, the novel also shares with us how the character like Christopher, mother and, father are not all as the seem to be. But, consequently, it also shows us that when people lied, a big part of their trust is gone. It makes them feel discomfort, a need for distance and, fear. Above all, Novels are valuable because it share important
National Institute of Mental Health. (2014). “Depression: What Every Woman Should Know”. Pub No. 95-3871.
Relationships can only survive through adapting to constant change. Without that aspect, they would not last. In Mark Haddon’s novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, a boy with Aspergers goes through life surrounded by mystery, dishonesty, and dysfunctionality. Because of this, secrets are revealed, relationships are changed, and the connection between family is brought into a new light. Through these events, the boy and his family discover and rediscover their ties with each other. In The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, the author demonstrates that the ability to adapt and change is the most essential characteristic in life because it strengthens relationships, as illustrated through Christopher, his mother
Burton, Neel. "The Anatomy of Melancholy: Can Depression Be Good for You?" Lecture. TEDx. Narodni Dom, Maribor. 12 Nov. 2013. Youtube. 2 Mar. 2012. Web. 12 Nov. 2013.
The curious incident of the dog in the night time was narrated in first person by Christopher Boone however If it was narrated in third person the audience would not have understood the way Christopher was feeling. Communication, Social Interactions, Relationship’s and Christopher’s Autism spectrum disorder were some of the main areas expressed in the novel.
Haddon, M. (2003). The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. London : Vintage.