1. DP Lang B HL A Curious Incident of a dog In the Night Time A Novel Study

2. On Today’s Class Menu…  Novel: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon - About the Author - The Asperger’s Syndrome - Synopsis - Characters - Themes - Other Important Aspects - Learning Activities - Assessment

3. About the Author  Mark Haddon was an author and illustrator of children’s books, who one day decided to write a book for adults instead. An image popped into his head – of a dead poodle in someone’s front lawn, stabbed with a pitchfork – and he thought it was just about the funniest thing in the world!  But before we give him the old “you’re nuts” treatment, let’s take a look at what that turned into. From that image alone, Haddon created the immensely successful The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night- Time. It has sold millions and millions of copies, won the prestigious Whitbread Award in 2003, and today can be found in bookstores in just about every country in the world.

4. The Asperger’s Syndrome  The Asperger’s syndrome is an autism spectrum disorder that is characterized by significant difficulties in social interactions, alongside restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. It differs from other autism spectrum disorders by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development. Although not required for diagnosis, physical clumsiness and atypical use of language are frequently reported.  The syndrome is named after the Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger who, in 1944, studied and described children in his practice who lacked nonverbal communication skills, demonstrated limited empathy with their peers, and were physically clumsy. The modern conception of Asperger syndrome came into existence in 1981 and went through a period of popularization, becoming standardized as a diagnosis in the early 1990s. Many questions still remain about the aspects of the disorder.

5.  Boys are four times more likely to be diagnosed with the Asperger’s Syndrome than girls. It affects people of all racial, ethnic and socio- economic backgrounds.  Autism is a highly variable neurodevelopmental disorder that first appears during infancy or childhood, and generally follows a steady course without remission. Overt symptoms gradually begin after the age of six months, become established by age two or three years, and tend to continue through adulthood, although often in more muted form.  It is distinguished not by a single symptom, but by a characteristic triad of symptoms: impairments in social interaction; impairments in communication; and restricted interests and repetitive behavior. Other aspects, such as atypical eating, are also common but are not essential for diagnosis.

6. Synopsis  So, what’s it all about? Haddon’s first foray into adult novels tells the story of a fifteen-year-old boy named Christopher Boone, who finds – you guessed it – a dead dog in his neighbor’s yard. On the back of most editions of the book, Christopher is described as having Asperger syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder that makes social interactions difficult and uncomfortable. While this certainly seems to describe Christopher’s experience in the world, his disorder is actually never specified in the book. He himself only says he has “Behavioural Problems” (Ch. 73, p.46).  A fan of Sherlock Holmes stories, Christopher decides to do some detective work of his own, and solve the mystery of who killed the pup. Along the way, he discovers a whole lot more than he expected – both about himself and about parts of the world he never knew existed. If that sounds like a story just waiting to be turned into a movie, well, you’re in luck: a film adaption is in the works.

7.  But the novel is a precious gem on its own, as Christopher jumps from advanced astrophysics to the existence of God, from quadratic equations to his favorite animals at the zoo. Christopher’s narrative voice is unlike any in literary history, and, against all odds, he makes a wonderful guide for this fascinating journey.  Now, you might ask yourself, why should I care about this novel? Let’s put it this way. Since you’ve been to school, you have probably read many novels. Each book has a narrator, of course, and sometimes the narrators can start to blend together. Well, Christopher Boone is one narrator you’ll never forget. After all, this is the only novel I know of that’s told from the point-of-view of a fifteen-year-old boy with Asperger’s syndrome.  If nothing else, Mark Haddon has brought a character who will force us to look at the world from a different perspective. A perspective where the most complex mathematical formulas are common sense, and an everyday conversation is an impenetrable puzzle. Getting out of our own heads is never a bad thing, so take a seat, pick up the book, and enjoy the journey!

8. Characters CChristopher Boone (Narrator & protagonist) EEd Boone (Father) JJudy Boone (Mother) SSiobhan (Teacher) MMrs. Alexander (Neighbor) MMr. Shears & Mrs. Shears (Neighbors)

9. Themes LLanguage & Communication IIdentity VVersions of Reality LLies & Deceit TTruth

10. Other Important Aspects  Point of View  As it was mentioned earlier, there are no other novel that is told from the point of view of a 15-year-old Asperger teen (1 st -person narrator). I even dare you to find another novel told from that point-of-view. This teen sees the world in a way we would never imagine on our own, and because the story is told in the 1 st person, we get a VIP pass into his brain.  How would this story be different if it were told in the 3 rd person and we only heard about Christopher instead of from him? Reading Christopher’s own take on the world helps us empathize with him, sure, but it also opens our minds to the possibility of seeing the world through a different lens. And that’s an opportunity we'll seize, it’s much appreciated!

11.  Tone: Detached  This one is not too difficult to perceive as you read the novel. There are a multitude of instances. Let’s go over some of them: Chap. 73, p. 46 & Chap. 31, p. 16.  Writing Style: Very “Matter-of-Fact” and Explicative  Christopher Boone says what he thinks and what he means – sometimes to a fault. And this matter-of-factness is very clear in HIS writing style. Indeed, Christopher’s writing style, not Mark Haddon’s. (It’s pretty sure the author, Mark Haddon, doesn’t actually write this way.) Let’s read an example (but you could flip to any page of this novel and find an equally relevant passage): Chap. 61, p. 33  Language  Written from the perspective of a 15-year-old teen, this novel is quite easy to follow. The language is crisp and clear, and very approachable. There are delightful lists and diagrams and illustrations, and once the big plot twists start turning, we are carried effortlessly through the short text.

12. Learning Activities  Double-entry Journal  Vocabulary Building  “Think-Pair-Share” Activities  Discussion Forums  Various Writing Tasks

13. Assessment  MOCK exam  Written assignment - Creative writing of 500 - 600 words plus a 150-word rationale, based on one of two novels read.

14. References  Wikipedia. (August 2012). Asperger’s Syndrome. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger_syndrome  Sparnotes. (August 2012). The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. Retrieved from http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/the- curious-incident-of-the-dog-in-the-night-time/section8.rhtml