The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: Themes, Symbols, and Credibility

Vocabulary flashcards covering the literary terms, characters, themes, and symbols from the lecture slides on Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Mark Haddon

The English novelist, poet, and playwright best known for his 2003 novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, which won the Whitbread Award, the Dolly Gray Children's Literature Award, the Guardian Prize, and a Commonwealth Writers Prize.

Bildungsroman

A coming-of-age literary genre and central theme in the novel that follows Christopher's journey, tracing his personal development, the shattering of his illusions, and his path toward maturity.

Sherlock Holmes

The fictional detective whose stories Christopher admires, providing the narrative solution for Mark Haddon to write from Christopher's perspective without requiring the narrator to imagine the minds of readers.

Wellington

Mrs. Shears's dog found dead with a garden fork at the beginning of the novel, prompting Christopher's murder investigation because he feels responsible for others' safety.

Ed

Christopher's father, who kills Wellington and hides his wife's desertion behind a lie about her death, but later attempts to restore safety and repair his relationship with Christopher.

Judy

Christopher's mother, whose desertion and relationship with Mr. Shears were concealed from Christopher by his father under the false pretense that she had died.

Figures of Speech

Non-literal idioms such as "I laughed my socks off" or "He was the apple of my eye" that confuse Christopher due to the distance between their literal meaning and what they convey.

Sensory Stimulation

The constant influx of perceptual details and excess information that Christopher's brain receives and is unable to ignore.

Spreading Fingers in a Fan

A physical greeting gesture where Christopher and his father touch thumbs and spread fingers together as a substitute for hugging to communicate love without discomfort.

Good Day

Christopher's system-based designation for a day on which he passes 4 red cars in a row on his way to school.

Quite Good Day

Christopher's system-based designation for a day on which he passes 3 red cars in a row on his way to school.

Super Good Day

Christopher's system-based designation for a day on which he passes 5 red cars in a row on his way to school.

Black Day

Christopher's system-based designation for a day on which he passes 4 yellow cars in a row, leading him not to speak to anyone, sit alone reading, skip lunch, and take no risks.

Mr Jeavons

The school psychologist who questions the logic of Christopher determining good and bad days by the arbitrary colors of passing cars.

Barking

A vocal defense mechanism Christopher adopts when he is frightened or jostled, displaying dog-like qualities in response to stress.

Sandy

A puppy given to Christopher by his father at the end of the novel, symbolizing the healing of emotional wounds and the rebuilding of safety and trust.

Cars (Symbol)

A symbol representing the private order and logic Christopher imposes on the world to make it intelligible, functioning as a talisman of good or bad luck until his world expands beyond Swindon.

Maths A Level

An academic goal symbolizing Christopher's future dreams of attending university, becoming a scientist, and taking his first independent step outside of Swindon.

Swiss Army Knife

A tool carried by Christopher that symbolizes his physical safety and defense, though it cannot protect him from psychological and emotional harm.

Subjectivity of Normality

The thematic realization fostered by Christopher's narration that what society considers "normal" is based on individual experience rather than indisputable fact.