In “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime,” Mark Hadden utilizes symbolism to communicate how Christopher, who is a teenager with Aspergers, is able to make sense of the world through all the lies he is being told.
Borrowed from: Sell or Else
One of the most important symbols throughout “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime” is the dogs. For Christopher, Wellington, and the mystery of his death symbolize the unraveling truth about Christopher’s mother and father. As Christopher begins to investigate Wellington’s death, he soon uncovers the secrets his father has been keeping from him, and Wellington’s murder and fathers deception soon become a part of the same investigation. When the truth about Wellington and Christopher’s mother is revealed, Christopher loses all trust for his father, but Ed bringing a new dog into Christopher’s life, Sandy, is what helps repair their relationship.
Borrowed from: Twin Eagles Wilderness School
Another major symbol in the book is the cars. For Christopher, the cars represent his way of having order, and a set of rules that he can rely on. He uses his cars as a way of determining whether each day will be a good or bad day, and for someone who does not believe in God, this is the closest thing to a religion that he knows. As someone with Asperger's, Christopher needs order and structure in his daily life, and the cars provide that for him. However, one day, Christopher's system becomes disrupted, and he comes to the realization that his system with the cars is no longer reliable. Realizing this allows Christopher to let go of these illusions he holds onto and lets him become more apart of the real world around him.
Another major symbol in the book is the cars. For Christopher, the cars represent his way of having order, and a set of rules that he can rely on. He uses his cars as a way of determining whether each day will be a good or bad day, and for someone who does not believe in God, this is the closest thing to a religion that he knows. As someone with Asperger's, Christopher needs order and structure in his daily life, and the cars provide that for him. However, one day, Christopher's system becomes disrupted, and he comes to the realization that his system with the cars is no longer reliable. Realizing this allows Christopher to let go of these illusions he holds onto and lets him become more apart of the real world around him.
Borrowed from: Unsplash