Exploring Autism in Haddon's Novel: A Unique Perspective

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Recommended: Autism annotated bibliography

To understand the difficulties of an autistic individual is like finding two snowflakes with identical lattices. Only 1% of the entire world population is diagnosed with a variation of autism according to Autism Society, and Mark Haddon strives to replicate the perspective of an autistic Christopher Boone in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Haddon’s writing style in this novel is quite unique and different to other contemporary novels of the 21st century. The pictures, use of prime numbers as chapters, and interruption of stream of consciousness display the true adversity that autistic people face daily. Mark Haddon writes the novel as a result of taking care of mentally and physically disabled people in Scotland, and from …show more content…

Two more signs of autism are difficulty with social interactions and ability to exhibit a range of interests or behaviors. In addition to adding pictures and using prime numbers as chapters, Haddon interrupts the storyline with a quick side note before returning to the plot. Between chapters 149 and 151, Christopher explains, “I folded the letter and hid it under my mattress in case Father found it and got cross. Then I went downstairs and watched the television. Lots of things are mysteries. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t an answer to them. It’s just that scientists haven’t found the answer yet” (99-100). He talks about finding his mother’s letters and then transitioning to the mystery of why some years there are more frogs at the pond at the school. Similarly, Haddon writes the same way between chapters 103 and 107. Christopher explains, “Then I sniffed the air to see if I could see what the air in the garden smelled like. But I couldn’t smell anything. It smelled of nothing. And this was interesting, too. Then I went inside and fed Toby. The Hound of the Baskervilles is my favorite book” (69). Christopher describes his garden and the fresh outdoor air after he learns about the affair and then explains his love for mystery novels. Furthermore, he explains, “The policeman took hold of my arm and lifted me onto my feet. I didn’t like him touching me like this. And this is when I hit him” (8). The periodic interruptions and behaviors display his wide range of thoughts and his difficulty in social interactions. By this irregular stream of consciousness, the readers can infer that Christopher has some sort of high-functioning

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