4.

What challenges does The Curious Incident present to the ways we usually think and talk
about characters in novels? How does it force us to reexamine our normal ideas about love
and desire, which are often the driving forces in fiction? Since Mark Haddon has chosen to
make us see the world through Christopher’s eyes, what does he help us discover about
ourselves?

- I feel that this article is very different from other articles. Through Christopher's eyes, I
think we can see a completely different world. The biggest difference is that he never really
thinks about other people's inner thoughts. He only uses the appearance of other characters in
the novel to determine his opinion of them. Also, a whole offers a new definition of love. In
our eyes, we often overlook the most important point, which is to be honest with others and
never lie. This is also the theme that the novel has been emphasizing all the time. More
importantly, I learned how a child who his special needs are different from others. In life, we
often ask others to agree with our point of view but forget how others feel. But after I read
this book, I feel that we don't need to force other people to support our own point of view a
lot of times, we should start from their point of view and make them feel comfortable and
respected.

8. Christopher experiences the world quantitatively and logically. His teacher Mr. Jeavons
tells him that he likes math because it’s safe. But Christopher’s explanation of the Monty Hall
problem gives the reader more insight into why he likes math. Does Mr. Jeavons
underestimate the complexity of Christopher’s mind and his responses to intellectual
stimulation? Does Siobhan understand Christopher better than Mr. Jeavons?

- In my opinion, I think mr.Jeavons underestimated Christopher's intelligence. He may have

only learned that Christopher was a child in need of special helps, but he ignored his talent in
math. Christopher can think more deeply than his peers. Although he was ill, it did not affect
his genius academic ability. On the contrary, I think Siobhan knows Christopher better. She
always keeps Christopher in his own opinion and respect him. Siobhan doesn't lose patience
with Christopher just because he's a kid who needs special help. Instead, she was always able
to come up with the most suitable solution. Let Christopher not see any discomfort between
interactions.

9. Think about what Christopher says about metaphors and lies and their relationship to
novels [pp. 14 –20]. Why is lying such an alien concept to him? In his antipathy to lies,
Christopher decides not to write a novel, but a book in which “everything I have written . . . is
true” [p. 20]. Why do “normal” human beings in the novel, like Christopher’s parents, find
lies so indispensable? Why is the idea of truth so central to Christopher’s narration?

- It seems to me that Christopher's unfamiliarity with metaphors and lies stems from the way
he sees things. In his seriousness, he can only ever understand basic meanings. Some deep
meanings, things that people need to think about, often cannot be easily understood. At the
same time, he has always believed that he is a person who cannot lie, so he is more disgusted
with those who do not tell the truth. Using such an opening, it seems to me, is intended to
convince the reader that this book is actually happening. Because in the eyes of a child who
needs special helps, completing the plot in this book may seem impossible. By contrast,
Christopher's parents desperately needed lies. Because they are often able to understand the
inner thoughts of others. Using lies, in their eyes, can protect Christopher from a lot of harm.
Also, in the novel, this idea is also very important. Because it fitted the role of Christopher.
Since in the novel, Christopher is a person who never lies and believes in logic.

12. One of the primary disadvantages of the autistic is that they can’t project or intuit what
other people might be feeling or thinking—as illustrated in the scene where Christopher has
to guess what his mother might think would be in the Smarties tube [pp. 115–16]. When does
this deficit become most clear in the novel? Does Christopher seem to suffer from his mental
and emotional isolation, or does he seem to enjoy it?

- When Christopher kept asking his mother if he could take A-level math exam, his mother
kept holding the opposite opinion, but never made it clear. In Christopher's eyes, this behavior
is incomprehensible. So, he kept asking his mother if he could take the exam, even though his
mother was getting impatient with it. I feel like Christopher never felt isolated because he was
never able to communicate properly with others. At the same time, I also feel that he may not
realize that he is emotionally and internally isolated.