MOD B - curios incident of the dog in the night time PDF

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MODULE B: Close Study & Literature Text - curious incident of the dog in the night time Plot: Christopher goes on an investigation to find out who murdered Wellington (Mrs shears dog), and along his investigation lead him to uncovering a number of secrets about his parents, causing him to lose trust in his father and set out to London in search of his mother. On his travels to London Christopher must overcome the limitations of his condition. Christopher Finds Out ●

Christopher's mother and Mr Shears had an affair

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Father and Mrs Shears had an affair

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The mother is still alive

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Father lied to Chris about his mothers death

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Father killed Wellington because he was angry with Mrs Shears

Resolution: ●

Christopher moves in with his mother

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Christopher successfully completes his A level maths

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His father buys him a puppy helping him to establish trust in him

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Christopher sets out his goals for the future

General Notes: ●

Christopher’s logic is idiosyncratic -> unusual and unique way thinking

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Concrete words are things that can be seen, touched, heard, smelled or tasted.

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Christopher is an unreliable and reliable narrator at the same time. ○

Reliable: directly repeats what is said without missing any information even if it is irrelevant, constantly talks about how he physically cannot lie and always tells the truth which is evident when talking to policemen

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Unreliable: only from his perspective, has ASD, cannot describe emotion or things he is unfamiliar with so it becomes the readers responsibility to determine the information

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Christopher’s logical and literal brain prevents him from seeing the humorous side of the event or experience he is describing. The majority of the humour in the novel is created by Christopher’s serious tone whilst discussing the events or experiences, as well as his lack of understanding of the events. He doesn’t intend to be funny, but his lack of understanding of some things creates humour because of his simple sentence structure and his naive voice.

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Christopher has a physical AND an emotional disconnection from other people in society. He doesn’t like people speaking to him, people touching him and he doesn’t understand emotion

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Throughout the novel Christopher enhances and describes the characteristics of ASD

Themes: ●

Social Disorder → doesn't have connection that is ordinary - troubles understanding emotion

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Logic → idiosyncratic = own way of thinking → The definition of logic is a science that studies the principles of correct reasoning - always having the correct answer

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Struggle to become independent

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Subjectivity

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Relationships →

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Lies and deception - honesty and trust → christopher is lied to about his mother and who killed wellington by his dad - since the occurrence of this he lost trust in his father and moved to england with his mother

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Communication

Authors use of techniques: Techniques

Definition

Allusions

indirect reference to a person, event or thing or to a part of another text

Analytical descriptions

further explanation + detailed response to a specific topic

Negative Imagery

images that show unwanted outcomes

Descriptive

describing in great detail

Similes

a description that uses ‘Like’ or ‘As’

Metaphors

use of speech to make a comparison between two things that aren’t alike but have something in common eg the heat upon me felt like i was 1mm from the sun

Repetition

the action of repeating something that has already been said - this can be used to make something or statement clear

Emotive Language

is types of words that evoke emotion to the reader

Footnote

notes placed at the bottom of a page to further elaborate on something specific

Orthography

practise of proper spelling eg the way something is spelt is said brokenly

Emoticons

representation of facial expression - christopher uses this with Siobhan to understand emotions eg - emojis

Metafictive

style narrative which attention is direction to the process of fictive position

Trope

is a common place and recognisable element - theme or something visuals

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): ●

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Is a complex developmental condition that involves challenges in: ○

Social interaction

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Speech

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Non - verbal communication

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Restricted + repetitive behaviours

The challenges associated with ASD inform readers on the difficulties christopher experiences throughout his investigation

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ASPERGES features and characteristics ○

Intellectual or Artistic Interest

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Speech Differences

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Delayed Motor Development

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Poor social skills

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Not socially driver

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Limited facial expression - difficult to interpret emotion

This is a syndrome that enables him to see the world only through his limited perspective, which is closed, frightened and disorientated - which results in his fear of, and inability to understand the perplexing world of people's emotions

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The novel never explicitly says what Christopher’s diagnosis is, but from the text it is apparent that he would fall on the higher functioning end of the Autism Spectrum. ○

The use of techniques - enables readers understanding on the condition that is present in christopher's life

QUOTES, TECHNIQUES AND ANALYSIS Quotes

Techniques

“ Father said that he didn't know what kind of heart attack she had and now wasn't the moment to be asking questions like that” - Chp 53 pg 36

Theme = Logic and ASD

”I used to think mother and father would get a divorece” “I used to have behavioural problems, but i don't have as many now because I’m more grown up and I can take decisions from myself” - Chp 73

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Analysis -

listing of behavioural problems Personal experience + Anecdote -

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Christophers idiosyncratic logic is seen when he is informing the reason about his ‘dead’ mother - he responds very factually, because he knew information that the mother was in healthy conditions before hand The use of listing is used to describe his condition of ASD - and aspects of it that occurs - providing an insight of his characteristics When he would yell his parents would yell at him The use of this allows the reader to reflect on their own world and perspectives on people they know who have ASD Shifts readers perspective - having a

deeper understanding of conditions ”He was asking too many questions and he was asking them too quickly. They were stacking up in my head like loaves in a factory where Uncle Terry works”

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”Its like three people trying to talk to you at the same time about different things” - Pg 10

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ASD Is shown as too many questions get asked it can be overwhelming for the individual Use of simile

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Simile is used to show how christopher doesn't understand jokes

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“ This will not be a funny book. I cannot tell jokes because i don't understand them”

Use of emoticons in the book pg 2

4 red cars = good day

Paradox is shown -a paradox is statement that is both true and untrue

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Visual representation - He his being taught by siobhan on how to use emotions in the right situations - First insight into his condition

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3 red cars = quite good day 5 red cars = a super good day 4 yellow cars in a row is a black day

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Emotive and descriptive Bold words to emphasise the point he is making

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christopher does like policeman , however he gets overwhelmed as he is being asked many questions Haddon uses similes when Christopher is stressed or unformatable - this highlights the difficulty of understanding emotion - as it can become stressful full for the individual Christopher is explaining why he doesn't like jokes He can’t understand the construct of jokes, he relates them to concrete experiences of his own - which is why he interprets the use of similes The use of simile highlights how uncomfortable Christopher is Christopher’s logic prevents him from understanding the humours side of events He doesn't intend to be funny but his lack of understanding somethings creates humour because of his simple sentence structure Christoper uses emojis to explain that he cannot understand facial expressions that are beyond a smile or frown Complex facial expressions confuse him as they have multiple meaning Visual representations enable the reader to understand how Christopher perceives the world ( challenge he faces) - this seems challenging to readers, however is considered ordinary for christopher. -

He provides this information because he is unable to process the emotion So he uses colours and numbers something that he is comfortable with to makeup to show his emotion

People

Idea

Situation

Example

Evidence

Technique

Christopher's character is underpinned by his Aspergers and audiences are positioned to consider his perspective from a guinione point of view developing a sense of empathy → this is contributed throughout the text as christopher elaborates further on his condition - which enhances individuals to understand the challenges he goes through

“ This will not be a funny book. I cannot tell jokes because i do not understand them”

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The novel is a constructed as a hybrid genre novel ( has many themes to bring out the main idea) the from of this reflects the main idea of challenging dominant concepts in society

“Lots of things are mysteries. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t an answer to them. It’s just that scientists haven’t found the answer yet” - page 125

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Christopher often finds himself in situations which are ordinary to most individuals but his reactions give an alternate inside of the challenges that are faced, and these challenges that are shown aren't what happens in everyday life of someone without aspergers

“It was nice in the police cell. It was almost a perfect cube, 2 metres long by 2 metres wide by 2 metres high. It contained approximately 8 cubic metres of air” - pg 17

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Effect

Truncated sentences High modality

Directly is responding to readers - which is further elaborates reader's understanding of aspergers - This alters the readers understanding - as christopher is mentioning one of the challenges associated with aspergers

Muder mystery/crime fiction Quest narrative Bildungsroman development of the protagonist ( Christopher

This provides a further insight into character development throughout the book - as christopher experienced many challenges to achieve the answers to who killed wellington - Insight in christopher's thoughts and emotions - always fluid and changing nothing is set in a specific way

Use of mathematical terms - makes it ordinary for christopher as a characteristic of his is his extreme maths abilities - that just make sense to him

Allows readers to understand that christopher's reaction to the situation isnt what is expected - its unusual and again showing his perspective

Siobhan → is Christopher's teacher at school who has taught him for 8 yrs. Siobhan is the only adult besides Christopher's parents that he is close with. ●

She teaches him appropriate social behaviour ethics and coping mechanisms while expressive his intelligence and remaining calm

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She speaks to him very descriptive and detailed as christopher can understand what she is asking to do or teach him

Peel structure: ●

POINT: topic sentence brief answer to question

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EXAMPLE: provide and example that answers the question

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EVIDENCE/ELABORATE: use of quotes and enhancing understanding on them

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LINK: conclude main topic sentence

Petal Structure P - point E - elaborate T - technique A - analysis L - link Literature = a body of written works → curious incident of the dog in the night time Simplified - How does the book challenge understanding on normal situations that occur everyday Ordinary Experiences → those that are common, frequent, and within the realm of everyday life.

Literature reinforces or challenges our understanding of ordinary situations. Discuss this statement, making detailed reference to your prescribed text.

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People without aspergers view situations differently, and this is interpreted throughout the text as christopher enhances reader's ability to understand the characteristucs of his ASD + the challenges faced from ASD

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The book invites society to see the characteristics of a 15 year old christopher boone’s lifestyle with Autism spectrum disorder → through the themes - mentioned above

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Many may view this story in different perspectives as the themes associated convey different perspectives from each individuals

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This story conveys the message of how a young boy christopher who suffers from autism deals with ordinary situations ○

With the use of techniques this enhances reader's understanding towards the relationships of an aspergers young boy - some of what he experiences may relate to personal experiences of others, and some may not.

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As the story progresses, we understand more and more how Christopher’s mind works. As it is made evident that he is a logical thinker through the prime numbers and the visual representation from the

beginning. Followed by his triggers due to heightened sensory imagery and how his emotions and behaviour can be easily changed by his surroundings.

➔ THESIS 1 : The prescribed text “the curious incident of the dog in the night time”, composed by Mark Haddon acquires various elements that portray the narrative as distinct, which provides an insight on the challenges that are faced in the perspective of 15 year old Christopher Boone who has autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Haddon uses numerous literary and visual techniques to emphasise the text's ability to understand ordinary situations that have commenced in the views of Christopher. The first person narration of the text/novel gives the responder an opportunity to explore the world through the eyes of an adolescent with Aspergers as well as an insight into the different characteristics that are portrayed through the investigation of who killed wellington, alongside the investigation, many other secrets are also found which displays the themes of honesty and trust. ➔ THESIS 2 : The prescribed text “ The curious incident of the dog in the night time” composed by mark haddon, explores various elements that enable individuals to reconsider the statement ‘literature can reinforce and/or challenge our understanding of ordinary situations’. The identification of people, ideas, setting and situations enhance the reader's understanding of the text. The persona of the story is Christopher Boone, a 15 year old boy who has Autism spectrum disorder, he enhances the literary term bildungsroman, which is a term used to describe character development throughout the novel, and with the emphasis of this, readers are able to understand and interpret the ‘ordinary situations’ that Christopher experiences throughout the investigation of who killed Mrs. Shears dog Wellington. Many Techniques are discovered along the way to show the norm of Christopher; these include, metafictive writing, topes, analytical description, orthography, smileys and emoticons. The use of these techniques will be elaborated further with the use of quotations that remark significant messages throughout the novel Christopher VS the World - online source We also have to point out that Christopher holds himself to a very different standard than he holds other people. He insists that things must be a certain way, and has no appreciation that other people might have different preferences from him, and that those preferences are every bit as valid as his own. Here's a (pretty big) example: He unexpectedly shows up at his mother's house in London, after not seeing her for two years. She's forced to put everything in her life on hold to take care of him, and ends up losing her job and leaving her partner. Christopher then demands that they return to his hometown immediately so he can take an exam. The notion that this might be inconvenient for his mother doesn't enter into the equation in the least. Of course his mother left him high and dry two years earlier, but this doesn't seem to be his motivation.

This double standard also comes into other aspects of his life: he constantly insists that lying is wrong (and renounces his relationship with his dad over a lie) yet finds all sorts of ways to get around telling the truth himself. He knows perfectly well that he isn't being honest, but is able to get around calling it "lying," which is pretty dishonest in itself, if you ask us. So, is it unfair to expect more of him, or to hold him accountable for his actions? Is it wrong to even ask these questions? To be honest, we're not really sure. But, of course, it's important to remember that since Christopher is the narrator, the only things we know about him are the pieces he's told us himself.

EXAMPLE ESSAY: The novel “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time”, composed by Mark Haddon acquires various elements that portray the narrative as distinct. Haddon uses an array of literary and visual techniques to depict both the novel and narrator’s unique qualities. The narrator of the text is a 15 year old Autistic boy, Christopher Boone. It is shown throughout the novel Christopher’s distinctive perception of the world and the issues he deals with. The first person narration of this novel gives the responder an opportunity to explore the world through the eyes of an adolescent with Asperger’s Syndrome as well as an insight to the working of his mind. Without the natural ability to relate and communicate in society, individuals that are considered different often find it difficult to build social relationships. Christopher’s condition causes him to see

the world in

an uncommon way and the first person narration of the novel allows the reader to share Christopher’s unique perspective. Christopher experiences difficulty understanding the simple things in life, for example, reading facial expressions. As a logic driven character he is emotionally simplistic. Due to his inability to comprehend emotions, Christopher struggles connecting to others on an emotional level. In the novel, Haddon elucidates through visual representa...