This novel contains a great deal of gentle humor -- much, or most, of it unintentional. Locate three passages that are humorous. What makes them funny?

You have to look at the humor is terms of communication. Christopher's interactions with the people around him might be considered humorous because he is so literal. Thus, conversation can make one smile. You aren't looking for examples that necessarily make you laugh outloud. For example, Christopher's purchase from the ticket salesman is humorous.

When he tries to buy a train ticket from Swindon to London, the man behind the window asks him if he wants single or return, and then has to explain these mysterious terms.

"And he said, 'Do you want to go one way, or do you want to go and come back?'

And I said, 'I want to stay there when I get there.'

And he said, 'For how long?'

And I said, 'Until I go to university.'

And he said, 'Single, then'."

There are also snippets cited by Christopher himself;

"I cannot tell jokes because I do not understand them."

This is itself creates humor........ failure to understand wit creates humor. I've had autistic students who laugh because they aren't quite sure how to react. When they see that sparks laughter around them, they often join in and laugh at themselves. This isn't what you'd call blatant humor...... but it does happen.

Another example of this would be Christopher's discovery of the dog;

"I decided that the dog was probably killed with the fork because I could not see any other wounds in the dog and I do not think you would stick a garden fork into a dog after it had died for some other reason, like cancer for example, or a road accident. But I could not be certain about this."

In trying to make sense of the dog's death, Christopher's attempt to find a logical explanation becomes almost witty. He doesn't see it as funny, and he isn't trying to be funny. None-the-less, an outsider might find his words and attempt at logical thinking to "sound" humorous.