Mark Haddon’s “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime” Anna Katherine Laser

In Mark Haddon’s “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime”, an autistic boy named Christopher flees to London to live with his mother after discovering that his father has murdered a dog. Christopher, who has never travelled before, is forced to embrace the terrifying aspect of loud trains, new places, and unfriendly strangers – all things that he finds unbearable. He overcomes his fears through the comfort of quadratic equations and his pet rat and eventually succeeds in finding his mother. To most people, a journey like this would probably be intimidating but manageable. Then again, Christopher has many more struggles than the average person. Though a brilliant scholar, Christopher is panicked and overwhelmed by loud noises and social interaction. He recites prime numbers in his head for fun, yet fears and disdains the color yellow with an unbridled passion. He hates loud noises and crowds, but is so scared of his father that he leaves every familiar comfort he knows to search for his mother. His perseverance and determination to embrace the largest of his fears is both inspirational and humbling. I have always loved travelling. I find it almost comforting, as I thrive on new experiences and intimidating adventures....