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Mr. Tadevic
9 Honors English
16 March 2015
Our Common Differences
From a dead poodle stabbed with a pitchfork, Christopher Boone starts on an
investigation that led him to discover more about himself, his family, and his world than he or
the reader could have ever imagined. Originally set as a murder mystery, socially inept yet
intellectually great Christopher has gone to be much more than a boy since his foray into
literature in 2003. He has become the beloved main character of not only Great Britains favorite
book, but also of an international bestseller with tens of millions of copies sold that has won over
17 literary honors, including the prestigious Whitbread Award. Not only has this novel crossed
country borders, but Christophers story also continues to transcend the boundaries of both genre
and culture, being translated into 44 different languages and even made into a play by the
National Theatre directed by Tony Award winner Marianne Elliott. This protagonist, who
seemingly is so different from the typical hero, has somehow managed to charm the world and
become a symbol of strength, growth, and triumph over disability. Mark Haddons genius and
secret to this storys massive success lies in a simple concept. The Curious Incident of the Dog
in the Night-time is a revolutionary novel in the sense that although Christopher is difficult to
connect to, his story is relatable because it motivates the reader to overcome obstacles and
transform what society views as restrictions into advantages.
Christopher, who finds complex math concepts fascinating and everyday life utterly
confusing, is unlike any narrator seen before; however, despite his differences, the similarities he

may share with the reader shows the world how to understand and embrace individuality. The
most original aspect of this story is that it offers insight to how Christopher processes the world
around him, and by narrating in first-person, readers get a front row seat to how individuals like
Christopher think. Although Christopher has a brilliant mind, his processing speed is slower
since unlike most people, he focuses on all the little details instead of the bigger picture.
Therefore, in order to navigate what seems to him to be a chaotic and unruly world, he depends
upon logic and order to simplify what otherwise overloads his senses. By imposing rules onto
events he cant control, Christopher forces logic on his life. This can be seen by his behavior,
such as his use of diagrams to sort through problems and his system of assigning good and
bad days. In addition, he has trouble dealing with human relationships because people are
unexpected and often act out of emotion rather than logic. However, even with all of these
differences, Christopher shares many characteristics with the audience of the book. While
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is the coming-of-age story for a mathematician
with some behavioral difficulties, Haddon comments that it is equally a book about families,
maths, maps, astronomy, travel, order, chaos, violence, dogs and the geometry of battenberg cake
in short, about all of us (The Guardian). In other words, while this story is unique to
Christophers own personality and environment, the underlying themes connect two unlikely
people, being Christopher and his reader. While the average person might not be so confined by
logic, each and every human can relate to wanting order and regulation in a sometimes hectic
day-to-day life. Sometimes, there might be too much happening simultaneously, causing the
average person to feel as Christopher does, which is frustrated and overwhelmed. From
analyzing the novel and the protagonist, the reader then has a better comprehension of other

people and can then value Christophers singularity. On a deeper level, this novel proves that
even with a set of differences, all people share the same innate features.
To Christopher, the outside world is a perplexing, ever-changing set of unknown rules,
but his valiant adventures outside his comfort zone inspire the reader to also be brave and seek
new paths. Aforementioned, Christopher lives according to strict order and has a hard time
interacting with others. Breaking comfortable habits is extremely difficult for him, but in order to
pursue the solution to his problem, he gathers up the resilience to accomplish the task. In the
beginning, Christophers desire to know overrides his fear of strangers, and he manages to
interview his neighbors in order to uncover the mystery of Wellingtons death. After all, if you
are going to detective work you have to be brave, so I [Christopher] had no choice (Haddon 35).
Further in the plot, Christopher, who has never ventured further than his street and chooses to
interact with only a few people in total, embarks on a heroic journey by himself all the way to
London. Throughout the voyage, he encounters countless obstacles, but by formulating plans and
pushing on with a goal in mind, Christopher finds himself on Mothers front door. For a person
like Christopher to overcome the restrictions of his disability and do what is supposedly
impossible inspires the audience to also have faith in tackling difficult circumstances. Haddon
writes that the novel really is not much more than scaffolding. So little is describedReaders
fill these gaps so automatically they often don't notice them (The Guardian). Haddons intention
is to write a one-of-a-kind story; however, even being so different, as he remarks, the story has
enough spaces for the reader to make the story their own. By accompanying Christopher on his
adventure for information and independence, the life of each reader is reflected in Christophers
special story, and through this, the reader can summon courage in the fact that Christopher
already has.

In spite of Christophers social awkwardness, his outstanding intellectual capabilities and

the surprising ability of his story to touch the hearts of his audience are proof that disabilities
may in turn be the greatest strength. As the book is told from the point-of-view of an
unconventional narrator, literary critics have hotly debated Christophers condition, suggesting
Aspergers and autism, but as the author writes, this is a story about difference, not disability.
Christopher states that he doesnt understand the terms special needs or learning difficulties,
because everyone has learning difficulties because learning to speak French or understanding
relativity is difficult and also everyone has special needs, like Father, who has to carry a little
packet of artificial sweetening tablets around with him to put in his coffee to stop him from
getting fat, or Mrs. Peters, who wears a beige-colored hearing aid, or Siobhan, who has glasses
so thick that they give you a headache if you borrow them, and none of these people are Special
Needs, even if they have special needs (Haddon 43-44). It can even be suggested that
Christophers parents emotional and relationship issues could be considered as their special
needs. As Christopher wisely suggests, since technically everyone has special needs, this does
not make Christopher any more or less special than anyone else. Christopher is just like everyone
else in the sense that like everyone else, he has his own areas where he excels or falls short.
Thus, people are truly alike by the fact that everyone is different. With this concept in mind,
readers can relate to Christopher since even though the readers special needs might be
different, the reader still has them. Furthermore, even with Christophers incomprehension of
daily life, he still has an incredible math and science brain. He may never travel further than
London, he may never know another human being intimately, but when he wrestles with a
mathematical problem or looks up at the stars, he sees things of overpowering beauty to which
many of us will remain forever blind (The Guardian). This shows that what society views as a

disability and pity him about is actually what blesses him such intellectual vision. Given
Christophers perspective, he does not find his condition to be a barrier; instead, he is proud of
who he is and what he domineers in. This revelation ultimately means that every situation has a
positive flip-side. Using Christopher as an example, the reader can draw inspiration to look
beyond the limits of what restrictions are in life at the moment and find its full potential.
The popularity of this beloved novel can be attributed to the fact that Christophers
distinctive narration shares common ground with each person facing challenges and struggling
with handicaps that may in fact be an asset. It can be agreed that Christopher is definitely not the
typical 15-year old boy, but his life experiences and personality traits can be connected to the
lives of everyone. In spite of his incapacities in a social setting, Christopher overcomes all of his
greatest fears and proves to himself, his family and the reader that against all odds, he has the
ability to surpass all expectations. These two factors come together as evidence that assumed
limits cannot determine potential, and with a different perception, a glass half empty really is a
glass half full. From Christophers coming-of age, not only do readers learn more about
Christopher and others like him, but also discover truths about themselves and society. Even
though Christopher really only travels as far as London and prefers to stay in his place at
Swindon, without even realizing it, Christopher has travelled through the hands of eager readers
all around the world. He has embarked on analyses of literature, dove deep into realities of
human nature, and visited the hearts and minds of his audience. From a simple neighborhood
investigation, Christopher has and continues to motivate and intrigue all students of literature
from 2003 to far in the future.

Works Cited
BWW News Desk. "Curious Incident Play Full Casting Announced." Broadway World. Wisdom
Digital Media, 21 May 2014. Web. 17 Mar. 2015.
Haddon, Mark. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. London: Jonathan Cape, 2003.
Print.
Haddon, Mark. "Mark Haddon on The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time." The Guardian.
Guardian Media and New Limited, 13 Apr. 2013. Web. 17 Mar. 2015.