Annotated Passage by Connor Sprague
The curious incident of the dog in the night-time
November 19, 2012
“He was an inspector. I could tell because he wasn’t wearing any uniform. He also had a very hairy nose. 1 It looked as if there were two very small mice hiding in his nostrils.2
He said, “I have spoken to your father and he says that you didn’t mean to hit the policeman.”
I didn’t say anything because that wasn’t a question.3
He said, “Did you mean to hit the policeman?”
I said, “Yes.”4
He squeezed his face and said, “But you didn’t mean to hurt the policeman?”
I thought about this and said, “No. I didn’t mean to hurt the policeman. I just wanted him to stop touching me.”5
` Then he said, “you know that it is wrong to hit a policeman, don’t you?”
I said, “I do.””6
(1)Resonate: Haddon wrote this novel as a narrative—the main character having Asperger syndrome (AS); having curious behaviour and a unique outlook on the world around him. The entire story is written as a straightforward, literal, complete recapping of events. Opinions may vary on the effect this has on the novel itself. Some may consider it boring, while others might argue the convenience of its “easy-to-follow” effect. I think the simple syntax and consistent structure was used throughout The curious incident of the dog in the night-time for a much deeper reason than writing style. This section of the passage, which I chose to annotate, is an excellent example of the type of syntax and structure to which I am referring. A good author tells a story through the eyes of the narrator; allowing his or her character traits to influence not only the plot, but also the way the story is written. On theses terms, Mark Haddon is an excellent author. How might you ask, does any of what I have written above relate to personal response from readers? Understanding your narrator’s point of view, in association with their thoughts, feelings, opinions and emotions, allows readers to feel confident in their ability to comprehend the text and infer. Therefore, by simply sticking to his narrator’s way of communicating, the author is able to provide readers with comfort, thus causing reactions of confidence and belief in them throughout the story.
(2)Craft: Although most would not consider a simile comparing a man’s nose hair to mice sophisticated or aesthetic, I think it is—as long as you perceive it the right way. Christopher is not one to “think outside the box.” He tends only to be able to perceive concepts and ideas literally. Therefore, in associating literal nose hair with figurative mice, Christopher is using his imagination. In revealing his ability to imagine, Christopher reveals facts about himself. For example, because he is able to associate a literal term (nose hair) with a figurative term that he is familiar with (mice), we are now aware that he can pull memories and connect them figuratively with the literal world around him. This gives us a significantly stronger understanding of his mind, because being aware that he is able to make literal-to-figurative connections such as this one allows us to infer that he has the ability to make other similar connections, and a less restricted mind than one may have originally assumed.
(3)Craft: I have chosen this section of my passage to annotate because it is an excellent example of using dialogue with interior monologue to expand the complexity of this section of The curious incident of the dog in the night time. An often-efficient way to study an individual is to be aware of what they do. A remarkably successful method of learning about and inferring character traits of a person is to be aware of what they think. It is considered human nature (for most) to be defensive in situations such as the one Christopher was in at this time. It is uncommon for one to look at things as literally and “technically” (technical as in exact and specific, as oppose to involving technology) as Christopher does. Not only does Christopher deduce that, technically speaking, he had meant to hit the policeman, he just hadn’t meant to hurt him, he also refrains from commenting on what (I’m assuming—which is what differentiates me from Christopher in this scenario) was said with the intent that Christopher would agree to—or at least comment on. Therefore, by using what Christopher said indirectly during dialogue to infer, one is able to delve much deeper into his character traits, thus adding complexity to the text.
(4)Strategies: My ability to comprehend texts relies mostly on basic reading strategies. One reading strategy that I often employ, with consistent success, is taking into consideration your character’s traits. “Christopher is logical. Christopher likes everything to be exact. Christopher looks at things literally. Christopher believes in trust. When Christopher has difficulty dealing with situations, he often tries to block out the rest of the world, and is difficult to deal with. Christopher has dealt with the police before, and was honest.” Those are just several of the thoughts going through my mind as I read this particular passage, and I owe to those simple, basic thoughts, the depth of my overall understanding of that particular piece of text. Had I been unaware, or not consciously thinking of all these traits and occurrences, I would never have been able to infer that Christopher is telling the truth, and that he is calm. If I was unaware that he is calm, and telling the truth, then my overall knowledge and understanding of the story becomes diminished. Therefore, since I am aware of Christopher’s mental state, and his liability, I have a stronger, deeper understanding of the text.
(5)Resonate: It is not always easy for the average person to resonate with someone who has AS. However, I believe this passage provides excellent potential for such a possibility. Because I have read as far into the novel as I have, I have a strong sense of Christopher’s character traits. Therefore, I am well aware of his intolerance for physical contact with other people. Although the majority of people are less likely to react so explosively to such a situation (myself included), I think that almost anyone can easily agree with his undesirability to be touched, especially in a situation such as the one he was in. It is crucial that readers are able to relate with narrators, as it provides the foundation for a stronger understanding of the narrator, and therefore the overall story itself. In order to achieve this powerful comprehension, readers must relate on a deep, personal level. This sort of grasping does not come automatically; it must be triggered. Every attentive reader, at this point, is aware that Christopher is honest to a fault. If he claims to have hit the police officer only to get him to stop touching him, than that is the case. The author, in this particular passage, displays a terrific example of playing on the reader’s sympathetic emotions; causing them to feel Christopher’s confusion and pain, because they understand and can relate to Christopher’s dislike of being touched and his difficulty in refraining from acting out violently in situations such as this(to a degree). Readers are able to obtain thorough comprehension of their overall understanding of Christopher’s decision by resonating.
(6)Strategies: I think it is safe to say that Haddon’s The curious incident of the dog in the night-time is unique. Its uniqueness derives from Haddon’s choice to build his story around a narrator with Asperger syndrome. I was (and still am) intrigued by his decision to do so, and was imploding with anticipation to find out what may have influenced his choice. After undergoing some quick research, I discovered that Mark Haddon was at one time employed at an occupation where he worked with people who had disabilities, that he had a job that included creating illustrations and cartoons for newspapers, and that he was an made and sold abstract art. After processing these pieces of information for a short period of time, I was able to infer that his inspiration for writing from the perspective of a child with AS most likely came from his background including disabled children, and that his ability to write such a unique and creative story stems from his past as an illustrator, and an artist. With knowledge comes power—ability. I am now able to use my newfound knowledge on Haddon’s life to make sense of not only the reason he wrote this novel the way he did, but also why the narrator of his story behaves the way he does. Up until this point, I had suspected that Christopher had some sort of mental disability. However, I was uncertain of exactly what that disability was, or what character traits it often produces in the people who have it. Now I know that Christopher has Asperger syndrome, and that is why he acts the way he does, which allows me to make sense of not only this piece of text, but also the entire story, by taking into consideration the character traits of those who have AS, and connecting those with Christopher’s actions.