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  • Essay / The themes of love and safety in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

    Mark Haddon's novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is an autobiographical murder mystery told from the point of view of an autistic teenager, Christopher. Boone. Throughout the text, Haddon cleverly positions the audience to experience life from the perspective of someone who cannot hope to grasp the subtle nuances of human interactions and social norms. From the perspective of a highly unconventional narrator, Haddon explores everyday settings and events, allowing him to depict interesting ideas about the differences that exist both in the nuanced world he has created and in contemporary society in its entirety. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayIn The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, one of the main themes depicted in the story is love, truth, and safety or security – all of which are important in building a relationship. Throughout the story, Christopher views truth as a primary part of the world and views it as either good or bad (good if you tell the truth, wrong if you lie). If someone tells him the truth, he can trust him; even if, if they lie to him, he fears them. Throughout the novel, he always carries a Swiss army knife, which proves that he is always aware of his physical safety, as he struggles to protect himself emotionally. Therefore, he has a knife to defend himself against people who might attack him. In fact, he sometimes responds to any emotional harm with physical defense (for example: when he confronts his father about learning of his mother's affair). The truth is so crucial in Christopher's life because he believes it will protect him from emotional harm. Christopher struggles to understand why anyone would want to believe something that isn't true, such as that fairies exist – "...and fairies are made up." of paper and you can’t talk to someone who’s dead” (Haddon 140). He wants to know the truth about everything around him, which is why he can be perceived as literal or blunt – and this is why he decides to find out the truth about Wellington's death. Christopher also reminds those around him and us that he never lies – “I don't lie” (Haddon 39). He even goes so far as to believe that it is a “white lie” if he does not give all the details of his day; however, he then realizes that he must tell white lies if he wants to do detective work. When he goes around the neighbors' houses, the author shows Christopher changing and able to interact with the world around him. As Christopher relies on truth and lies, he restrains himself from thinking that other situations exist. Because Christopher manages to live in the present moment like this, he is able to shield himself from the thought of his "dead" mother or what life would have been like if she were still here. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. a custom article now from our expert writers.Get a custom essay Additionally, Christopher finds the truth to be a sign of love, so when his father lied to him about his mother, he cannot understand the fact that his father has good intentions in lying to him. . Additionally, he feels the pain of the truth and vomits all over his bed, which has put him in "emotional danger" rather than protecting him. But after fearing his father, he realizes that he must overcome this because his father still loves him. And even though Christopher hates lies, he has to accept that sometimes people make mistakes., 15(1), 41-53.