BlogEnglishThe Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Analysis and Essay Ideas
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Analysis and Essay Ideas
In this article, you’re going to learn how to write a Band 6 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time analysis.
Since graduating from USYD with Honours and an HD average in English Literature, I’ve supported 100+ HSC English students over 7 years, so I know what details you need to master from any text to get top marks. In this article, I’ll break down:
A full plot summary and info on context
A breakdown of all the KEY characters
Several KEY quotes and themes
A step-by-step guide on how to plan and write your essay
A FREE TEE table, Band 6 paragraph and potential thesis statements
So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to ace your analysis of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time — let’s go!
Full title: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Author: Mark Haddon
Place of writing and publication: Oxford, UK
Literary period: Postmodernism
Genre: The first half where Christopher is trying to find out who killed Wellington can be described as a pastiche of a mystery novel, whereas the second half where he runs away to see his mother can be described as a bildungsroman (coming of age story).
Setting: Swindon, UK.
Three main themes:
Forming relationships.
Communication.
Trust.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Summary
Fifteen-year-old Christopher Boone lives in Swindon with his father, Ed. As a neurodivergent individual, he finds comfort in logic, routine and mathematics, but struggles with social interactions and emotions.
One night, he discovers his neighbour Mrs Shears’ dog, Wellington, lying dead on the lawn with a garden fork stuck in it. When Mrs Shears sees him with the dog, she assumes he killed it and calls the police. Christopher, who is hypersensitive to human contact, gets overwhelmed when a police officer touches him. He is briefly taken into custody before being released with a warning.
Christopher then decides to investigate Wellington’s death, treating it like a detective case and writing down evidence in his notebook. During his investigation, he learns from another neighbour about how his mother, Judy, had an affair with Mrs Shears’ ex-husband. This revelation confuses him, as he was told that his mother had died of a heart condition two years earlier.
Ed discovers Christopher’s notebook and confiscates it. While searching for it, Christopher accidentally finds a stash of letters hidden in Ed’s room. The letters, written by Judy, reveal that she is still alive and living in London. This discovery overwhelms him, and he becomes physically ill.
Upon confrontation, Ed reveals that Judy is alive and that he also killed Wellington after an argument with Mrs Shears, who he wanted to have a relationship with after both were left by their partners.
Feeling betrayed and unsafe, Christopher decides he cannot stay with his Ed. Determined to find Judy, he runs away to London. The trip is extremely difficult for him, as he struggles to navigate the chaotic and overwhelming environment of the train station and the London Underground.
He experiences sensory overload and nearly gets hit by a train while retrieving his pet rat, Toby, from the tracks. Eventually, he reaches Judy’s flat, where she is shocked to see him.
Judy, who had left Swindon because she felt she was not a good enough mother for Christopher, had wanted to return but was discouraged by Ed. Now, seeing Christopher’s distress, she decides to take him back to Swindon with her. This causes tension with her current partner, Mr Shears, effectively ending their relationship.
Back in Swindon, his mother moves into a small apartment and does her best to rebuild their relationship. Meanwhile, Ed tries to regain Christopher’s trust by making small gestures, such as buying him a puppy. Christopher remains wary, finding reassurance in his academic achievements such as taking his A-level maths exam.
The novel ends with him believing that, having solved Wellington’s murder and traveled to London alone, he is capable of doing anything, including becoming a scientist.
Characters in the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Christopher John Francis Boone
The protagonist and narrator of the novel, Christopher is a highly intelligent but socially awkward 15-year-old boy. It is revealed that he is neurodivergent through his behaviour and his sessions with the special needs teacher, Siobhan, but his condition is never named in the novel.
He is passionate about mathematics and has a talent for solving complex problems, but struggles with everyday tasks and social interactions. Christopher’s obsessive nature and literal thinking make him a unique and fascinating character.
Ed Boone
Christopher’s father, who works as a maintenance man for heating and boiler repairs. Ed is a caring and protective father, but he also struggles to understand Christopher’s unique needs and challenges. He is often frustrated by his son’s behaviour and struggles to connect with him emotionally.
Judy Boone
Christopher’s mother, who left the family when Christopher was young. Christopher idolises his mother and has many questions about why she left. Her absence has left a deep emotional impact on Christopher and his father.
Siobhan
Christopher’s special needs teacher at school. Siobhan is patient and understanding, helping Christopher navigate the complexities of social interactions and emotions.
Mrs. Shears
Christopher’s neighbour and the owner of the dog that is killed at the beginning of the novel. Mrs Shears is a kind woman who is initially suspicious of Christopher’s behaviour, but eventually becomes a friend and ally.
Roger Shears
Mrs Shears’ ex-partner, who Christopher suspects of killing the dog. Roger is a mysterious and unsettling figure, and his relationship with Mrs Shears adds another layer of complexity to the story.
Toby
Christopher’s pet rat, who he loves dearly and cares for meticulously. Toby is an important source of comfort and stability for Christopher throughout the novel.
Who is the author, Mark Haddon?
After completing university at Merton College, Oxford, Mark Haddon took a job as a caretaker working with patients who had multiple sclerosis and severe autism. This work helped him to understand autism and subsequently develop the character of Christopher.
In an interview with Powell’s Books, Haddon states, “autism wasn’t a term that was even used much at the time, and only in retrospect do I realise that some of the people I worked with had autism, although they had it much more seriously than Christopher does.”
When asked whether Christopher has autism, Mark Haddon famously said that he set out to write a novel about a boy who was a mathematician, not a boy who was autistic. Certainly, many of Christopher’s behaviours place him on the autism spectrum, but because Haddon never explicitly labels him, we’re encouraged simply to accept Christopher as himself.
Haddon uses Christopher’s unique outlook in order to highlight key truths about the nature of the world. He states in the same interview:
“For me, disability is a way of getting some extremity, some kind of very difficult situation, that throws an interesting light on people. But it’s also something that’s terribly, terribly ordinary. There are these extreme situations, but they’re happening somewhere in your street at this very moment. And that’s important to me, to find the extraordinary inside the ordinary.”
Speaking of finding the extraordinary in the ordinary, it is significant that Haddon sets his novel in Swindon, a relatively modern town in the UK. This town is famous for being a boring and lifeless place, equivalent to how some Australians see Canberra. You might also like to think about how Mark Haddon represents the extraordinary within this banal town.
Historical Context
The Rise of Neurodiversity Awareness: The novel was published in 2003, a time when public understanding of autism and neurodiversity was still developing. Haddon’s portrayal of Christopher contributed to broader discussions about how society perceives and accommodates these conditions.
Haddon’s Experience as a Caretaker: Before writing the novel, Mark Haddon worked with autistic individuals, which influenced his portrayal of Christopher’s unique perspective. His experience gave him insight into the challenges faced by the neurodivergent community, shaping the novel’s authentic depiction of Christopher’s thought processes and interactions.
Postmodernism in Literature:The novel incorporates key postmodernist features, such as unconventional narrative structures, metafiction and fragmented storytelling. Christopher’s logical, non-linear way of thinking disrupts traditional storytelling methods, with his unreliable narration prompting the audience to question absolute truth and perception.
Struggling to find contextual information that’s actually relevant to include in your essay? Just ask Artie, our AI English Tutor, for help!
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The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Themes
1️⃣ The extraordinary in the ordinary
While reading The Curious Incident, you would be aware that Christopher is not “ordinary” in terms of conventionally acceptable social behaviour.
However, instead of stigmatising Christopher for being neurodivergent, Haddon uses his unique perspective to illuminate the complexity of human experiences that seem natural to the neurotypical majority.
Through Christopher’s highly logical approach to the world,the novel reveals the extraordinary nature of seemingly mundane events, like a journey on a bus or an interaction with a stranger. Haddon turns these ordinary experiences into moments of reflection, showing how they take on new meaning when seen through a lens that challenges societal norms.
For example, while a facial reaction might seem instinctual to most people, Christopher’s inability to decipher them reminds us how complex emotional understanding truly is as all the nuances of an individual’s state of mind are distilled into a simple expression.
By focusing on the “ordinary” world from Christopher’s point of view, Haddon not only highlights the extraordinary nature of his logical, facts-oriented mindset in providing a uniquely objective perspective on emotionally charged situations, but also encourages readers to reconsider their assumptions about what constitutes normality and how difference can enrich their understanding of everyday life.
2️⃣ The importance of truth and trust
Christopher’s inability to lie forms the foundation of his understanding of the world. For him, truth is a black-and-white concept, and he relies on it to navigate a world he often finds illogical and overwhelming.
His commitment to truth can be both a source of clarity and frustration, as it leads to conflicts with those around him who sometimes deliberately hide the truth to protect themselves or others, or obscure it due to social conventions such as white lies.
This stark adherence to honesty underscores the novel’s exploration of trust, as his relationships, especially with his parents, are built on the fragile balance between his demand for truth and the emotional complexities others withhold.
Ultimately, in Christopher’s view, truth offers both security and betrayal, and his struggle to reconcile these opposing forces becomes a key element in his emotional growth and understanding of the world.
3️⃣ Difference, tolerance, and love
The Curious Incident critiques societal perceptions of normality, exposing how illogical society’s orders and expectations, as well as the entire idea of “normal,” truly are.
Christopher, through his unique perspective as a neurodivergent teenager, challenges the conventional understanding of what it means to be “normal,” particularly in terms of behaviour and emotional expression.
While society often marginalises individuals who don’t conform to social expectations, Christopher’s distinct way of processing the world reveals the limitations and biases inherent in such judgments. Rather than portraying his neurodivergence as a flaw, Haddon uses it to highlight the arbitrary nature of social norms and to emphasise the importance of acceptance and tolerance.
Through his relationships, particularly with his father and mother, the novel also explores how love can transcend the boundaries of conventional understanding.
By the end of the novel, Christopher’s journey underscores that difference is not something to be feared or corrected, but rather something to be embraced as part of the rich diversity that makes up human existence.
👉 For further reading on Christopher’s emotional journey throughout the novel, check out this article.
4️⃣ The complexity of family and relationships
In The Curious Incident, Haddon delves into the complexities of family dynamics, illustrating how love, trust and communication can be both grounding and disruptive. Through Christopher’s perspective, we see that relationships, especially within a family, are not simple or easily understood, even though they are often assumed to be.
Christopher’s relationship with his father, for example, is built on both deep love and significant tension. While his father’s protective nature is clear, his actions, such as lying to Christopher about the death of Wellington and concealing the truth about his mother, reveal the fragility and imperfections in their bond.
This betrayal of trust causes a rupture in their relationship that Christopher struggles to comprehend, as his rigid understanding of right and wrong inhibits him from grasping the psychological complexities that define human motivations.
Likewise, the absence of his mother and the discovery of her letters highlight the unpredictability of human connectionsand the emotional damage that can result from misunderstanding or avoidance.
Ultimately, the novel portrays family not as an ideal of perfect understanding and compatibility, but a complex and volatile dynamic where love and pain often coexist.
5️⃣ The search for identity and independence
In The Curious Incident, Christopher’s journey is not only about solving the mystery of Wellington’s death, but also about his quest for personal identity and independence.
Throughout the novel, Christopher’s highly logical and structured way of thinking is both a strength and a barrier as he navigates a world that constantly challenges his need for predictability and order. His desire to solve problems and seek truth drives him to confront complex emotional situations, particularly in his relationships with his family.
As Christopher uncovers more about his parents, he begins to question what he thought he knew about himself and the world around him. The revelation of his mother’s letters and the truth about his father’s lies forces him to reassess his understanding of loyalty and trust, key pillars of his identity.
This journey towards understanding is also symbolised in his venture to London, where he challenges his own limits and expands his understanding of what he can accomplish independently. Through Christopher’s growth and the bildungsroman format, Haddon illustrates that identity is fluid and shaped not only by internal characteristics, but also external experiences.
👉 For further information on the theme of self-discovery in the novel, check out this article.
6️⃣ The limits of communication
As a neurodivergent individual, Christopher struggles to interpret and express emotions in ways that others can easily understand, leading to frequent miscommunications and misunderstandings.
Haddon uses Christopher’s narrative style, which is direct, literal and often blunt, to illustrate how his difficulty with social cues and emotional expression impacts his relationships with those around him.
While Christopher’s need for clarity and truth makes communication challenging, it also highlights the complexity of human relationships, where words often fail to convey the depth of feelings and intentions.
Through Christopher’s experiences, Haddon suggests that effective communication is not always about the words we use, but about understanding others’ perspectives even if you cannot personally relate, emphasising that true connection requires patience, effort and empathy.
👉 For further reading on Christopher’s difficulties with communicating with others and navigating the world around him, check out this article.
7️⃣ Belonging and isolation
Christopher’s need for structure, predictability and logic often sets him apart from the more emotionally driven people around him, creating a sense of disconnection from his social environment.
However, through his relationships, particularly with his father and the few people he comes to trust, Christopher gradually learns that belonging does not require conformity to societal expectations, but rather the development of authentic connections based on trust and mutual respect.
👉 For information on the connection between detective conventions and Christopher’s desire for belonging, check out this article.
What is the main message of The Curious Incident?
The novel shows that people experience and interpret the world in different ways and that differences shouldn’t be seen as deficiencies, ultimately emphasising the importance of patience, understanding and trust when interacting with others.
Module B is all about making an interpretation of your text. It’s not enough to say “Haddon’s novel is about difference.” Instead, you should choose a more detailed and specific thesis statement personal to your opinions.
For your The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time analysis, consider focusing on a key idea such as truth or tolerance, and make sure you’re always making an argument, rather than just talking about a theme! For example:
This thesis builds on the theme of difference by explaining how Haddon represents it through Christopher’s characterisation and constructs a clear argument about the perspective Haddon conveys on this theme.
Module B also asks you to understandHOW the characteristics of a text establish its distinctive qualities. Some distinctive qualities you might want to consider discussing include:
The murder mystery genre (and its subversion).
The bildungsroman genre.
Christopher’s unique narrative voice.
Structure, formatting, diagrams and images.
Here are some key rubric statements to give you an idea of how to address them in your essay:
Rubric Statement
How to Address It
Develop an informed understanding, knowledge and appreciation of the text.
- Read the text carefully and highlight key themes, ideas and moments.
- Understand how the author uses characters, settings and language to create meaning.
- Avoid surface-level summaries by unpacking the deeper significance of events and character actions.
Develop considered personal responses to the text.
- Don’t just summarise the plot in your essay. Form your own interpretation on the story and the messages it is trying to convey.
- Form a clear and detailed argument. A simplistic thesis like “Haddon represents the theme of isolation through Christopher” does not present a compelling argument.
- Consider how he represents the theme (e.g. characterisation, symbolism etc) and why he is representing it in this way (e.g. to promote a certain perspective, to foster empathy within the audience etc).
Explore and analyse the ideas and characteristics of the text and understand the ways in which these characteristics establish its distinctive qualities.
- Identify key themes and ideas (e.g. love, truth, belonging).
- Focus on how the author’s choices (like narrative style, symbolism, or character development) make the text unique and show how these choices affect the meaning of the text.
- Use textual evidence to show how ideas are developed.
Engage in extensive exploration and interpretation of the text.
- Don’t just focus on one idea, explore multiple interpretations and perspectives.
- Think about the text from different angles (historical, social, emotional).
Analyse how composers portray people, ideas, settings and situations.
- Focus on how characters and settings reflect the themes of the text.
- Show how the author uses relationships, dialogue, or settings to communicate ideas.
- Consider the motivations behind characters’ actions and what they represent.
Express increasingly complex ideas clearly and cohesively.
- Make sure each paragraph has a clear point and flows logically.
- Avoid vague or repetitive statements.
- Develop your ideas fully and explain how they relate to the thesis.
Sample Essay Question
Sample Thesis Statement
How does Haddon use characterisation and narrative structure to shape our understanding of truth and perception in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time?
Haddon’s use of Christopher’s unique narrative voice, characterised by literal thinking and selective understanding, shapes our understanding of how perception is influenced by individual cognitive differences and truth is often constructed rather than absolute.
How to Write a Band 6 Essay on The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time in 7 Steps
Step 1: Understand the Question
Before you start planning your The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time essay and writing analysis, make sure you fully understand the essay question. Read it several times.
What is the focus?
Is it about a specific theme, character or contextual detail?
What do they want you to show in your response?
Highlight key words and think about what type of analysis is required: do you need to compare themes, unpack characterisation, or examine how Haddon uses language?
Step 2: Break Down the Text
Identify key scenes, quotes and character moments that directly address the essay question. You don’t need to analyse everything, just focus on what supports your argument.
Step 3: Take Effective Notes
Now that you’ve highlighted the important moments, make a set of notes. Include:
Themes – What are the main themes relevant to the question? (See the ones we’ve listed above!)
Character Analysis – What role does the character play? What character arcs do they undergo?
Literary Devices – How does Haddon use language, imagery or symbolism to develop ideas or characters?
Context – How has Haddon’s personal background as well as other societal pieces of context like the rise of neurodiversity awareness affected the production and reception of the text?
My Tip: It’s always useful to organise your notes in TEE tables because it structures your analysis in a clear manner that you can paste directly into your paragraphs. Make sure you adapt the wording to fit your specific essay question! See a sample one below:
Step 4: Develop a Thesis Statement
Your thesis is your argument – the central point you want to prove in your essay. It should answer the question directly and be specific. For example, if your essay asks the theme of communication, you could explore how Christopher’s voice reveals the absurdity of human communication!
Step 5: Write the First Draft
Don’t worry about making your essay perfect right away, just focus on getting your ideas down clearly. Make sure you integrate your quotes (get a full list of 50 quotes from this text here!) and evidence into the argument smoothly. Each paragraph should link to your thesis and build your argument progressively.
My Tip: I try to write the introduction and conclusion last, after I’ve developed my body paragraphs, because it helps my argument feel more focused and coherent.
Step 6: Revise and Refine
Once you’ve completed the first draft of your Merchant of Venice HSC essay, take a break and then return to it with fresh eyes. Read through it and see if:
Your argument is clear and focused.
Your textual evidence is relevant and properly explained.
There’s a logical flow between your sentences (e.g. argument -> quote -> explaining language techniques -> thematic/contextual analysis -> linking back to question).
Looking for extra help with your textual analysis?
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Brooklyn Arnot has a Bachelor of Arts majoring in English Literature with Honours at the University of Sydney. She scored an HD average and has even received the Dean’s award for excellence! Brooklyn teaches our English classes at Art of Smart and has over 5 years of experience supporting Year 11 and 12 students throughout their HSC. She’s also a new Syllabus expert and studied 4U English in high school.
Luka Russell is an English tutor at Art of Smart Education, and graduated from UTS in 2023 with a Bachelor of Communication, majoring in Journalism. Aside from educational content, she is passionate about health and beauty journalism, having written various articles on female health topics. She also loves to draw in her spare time.
