Would your reaction be similar to Christopher's?(Don't look at this unless you have read to the part where Christopher's dad helps him take a bath)

[Stacey]

In the novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon, the main character's name is Christopher. In the middle of the novel, Christopher finds out that his mother is not dead like his father had told him. He gets sick and passes out after finding out. If this happened to you, how would you react? Would you be mad or upset? Or would you be like Christopher and not even know what to do and feel sick to your stomach?

[Candice]

I think this would be shocking knowledge and his reaction is quite understandable. He has great trust in his dad and he finds out that he has lied to him about something massive. I don't know if I would pass out, but I think I would become very upset and confused.

[Brenda]

I imagine the neighbors down the block would hear my thoughts and feelings on if someone told me so vile a lie. I would be very verbal. However shutting down I think is very fitting for Christopher's character.

[Bob]

Brenda wrote: "I imagine the neighbors down the block would hear my thoughts and feelings on if someone told me so vile a lie. I would be very verbal. However shutting down I think is very fitting for Christopher..."

That's because almost all none autistics think about things emotionally and subjectively where Christopher, as an autistic, thinks objectively and literally. It's all just facts and figures to him. The information is quite easy for him to get to grips with.
What is difficult for him to comprehend is the fact that his father has lied to him thus breaking all trust. It's the emotional consequences of that which Christopher can't cope with and drives the remainder of the book.

And yes, my reaction at that age given the same circumstances would have been very similar having Asperger's as well.

[Rebecca]

Christopher is not autistic. Mark Haddon did no research on autism before writhing the book and while Christopher conforms with some popular misunderstandings about what autism involves the writer himself has admitted that he is just a very special child and is not autistic.

[Steve]

Rebecca wrote: "Christopher is not autistic. Mark Haddon did no research on autism before writhing the book and while Christopher conforms with some popular misunderstandings about what autism involves the writer ..."

What the? For me this is like hearing Harry Potter was not a wizard! (I am not saying you are wrong, I am just shocked!l

[Nasrul]

Agrimorfee wrote: "Rebecca wrote: "Christopher is not autistic. Mark Haddon did no research on autism before writhing the book and while Christopher conforms with some popular misunderstandings about what autism invo..."

http://www.markhaddon.com/aspergers-a...

Haddon himself said that there was no mention of autism or Asperger's.

[Rebecca]

He says that now, after receiving huge criticism. But the book was first released describing Christopher as having Asperger's.