In literature the inherent bildungsroman nature is somewhat ingrained within humanity. Haddon’s novel ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’ places a unique spin on this well-known rhetoric, conveying the protagonist as a 15-year-old autistic child undergoing a momentous stage of maturation. Haddon explores the difficulties of life with Asperger’s Syndrome within a unique 1st person narration.
The language used in Christopher’s 1st person narration conveys his distinctive nature and provides the reader a clear insight into the evolution of his maturity. Due to his simplistic, way of thinking, Christopher’s stream of consciousness is not difficult to track and hence the reader is able to follow the evolution of his maturation with ease. It conveys a sense of informality and breathlessness, “this is another reason why I don’t like proper novels, because they are lies about things which didn’t happen and they make me feel shaky and scared.” His inability to understand and process emotional impulses is evident, the emotive stimuli engaged from a typical novel is proved too heavy for his highly scientific mind to understand. This sentimental immaturity is conveyed through the use of Polysyndeton, showing a sense of breathlessness and panic, as though he is reliving the terror of reading typical novels. This is reinforced by the use of sibilance, creating a sense of fear and alarm through the ‘hissing’ sounds generated. Despite this preface supposedly written after the events taken place, this beginning of the novel establishes his initial immaturity to the readers. In contrast, the end of the novel demonstrates the finality of his stage of maturation, “I found my mother and I was brave and I wrote a book and that means I can do anything”. The Polysyndeton remains continuous throughout the narration, however, it creates a sense of more optimism and success in dissimilarity to fear and panic. Christopher’s character development is evident from this phrase, his final bravery despite his disability demonstrates a newfound maturity within himself. The distinctive Polysyndeton is a language quality throughout the novel, however the novel’s rejection and subversion of Jungian archetypes conveys similar themes of maturation.
In my view Haddon’s approach to the novel completely rejects typical Jungian Archetypes, and the ones not rejected are a subversion of these characters. This methodology introduces a sense of realism. Initially, the novel only presents a subversion of the hero archetype of Christopher, demonstrating his many flaws and inconsistencies, “4 red cars means it will be a good day”. The strangeness of his thought processes and lack of emotional and physical strength is a twist on Jung’s hero. This places a spin on the typical bildungsroman with a somewhat secure protagonist. The emblematic parental archetypes are also subverted, the image of his mother and father are greatly flawed. This is however, presented to the reader in a deeply humane way, stirring sympathy within the reader, “and it made me so sad because it was like you didn't need me at all.' The letters Christopher finds from his mother demonstrate her imperfect nature, this twist of the mother archetype is understood by the reader through the deeply humanizing letters that engage the readers’ sympathy. The simplistic language appeals to a basic human need to be wanted, and the lack of this for Judy is another discontinuity in this typical character of a bildungsroman. This is also shared by his father who is in need for companionship and assistance in looking after Christopher. Siobhan is the only archetype who remains consistent with Jung’s constitution. Her caregiving archetype is reinforced and not subverted in anyway. The lack of direct narrative contact with Siobhan produces an almost spiritual guiding, her persona represents a need for stability in the world of Christopher, “think about things that have happened. Especially about the good things that have happened.” Her caring nature assists Christopher in dealing with the difficulties of his world and disability, a motherly figure. The subversion of these typical Jungian Archetypes is a distinctive quality of this text that thrusts us into genuine human experiences, providing depth to the theme of maturation.
Haddon’s novel explores the coming of age theme, incorporating unique qualities in language and structure, producing an effect which deeply resistants with the reader. The Curious reflects upon these unique individuals within society and the challenges that surround them and those within their life.
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Christopher in ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime’.
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