Exploring Characterization of Christopher Boone in Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Abstract

This study focuses on analyzing the characterization of the main character, Christopher Boone, in Mark Haddon's novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time using the New Criticism approach. The purpose of this study is to determine how the main character, Christopher, is portrayed in the novel through direct and indirect characterization. This study employs a qualitative descriptive method, with the primary data collected directly from the novel itself. This analysis focuses on textual evidence in the novel that reflects Christopher's traits, which are then categorized into direct and indirect characterization. Findings from this study indicate that direct characterization depicts Christopher as a brilliant mathematician, with logical reasoning, honesty, and discomfort with physical contact. Meanwhile, indirect characterization, demonstrated through his communication style, shows that he always avoids interaction with others, and his relationship with his parents also consistently shows that he understands his emotions. This research shows that Mark Haddon's novel builds a unique character for the main character, Christopher, through the text description in the novel, which allows readers to experience the world from his unique perspective. This study provides a theoretical contribution to literary studies by reinforcing the importance of characterization as an intrinsic element of fiction and practically provides insight into how characterization techniques can shape distinct characters.