Trust Theme in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nigh-Time Essay Sample

Plants grow through a process called photosynthesis. They require water, and sunlight, and they use those resources to make food to survive and grow. Even if a seed has a crack in it, it still has an opportunity to grow. If the plant only has sprouted from half of the seed, it may still be able to grow. The process of plant’s growth is like the process of relationship growth. Mark Haddon’s novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime discusses the impact of trust and relationships between Christopher Boone, his father, Ed Boone, and his mother, Judy Boone. Christopher Boone is a 15-year-old boy who has autism and lives with his father, Ed Boone. His father had previously explained to him that his mother had passed away from a heart attack. That was a lie. Christopher was also investigating the murder of their next-door neighbor’s dog. Soon the reader discovers his father killed Wellington. When Christopher finds out that his father lied, he becomes frightened of his father and runs away to London where his mother lives.  Mark Haddon uses Christopher’s trust and relationships to explore the cause-and-effect relationship between emotions, trust, and interactions with others. 

Since the father-son trust was broken between Christopher and his father, it caused them to grow farther apart, distance and relationship wise. Following the discovery that Christopher’s father killed Wellington, Christopher became scared and knew he “had to get out of the house... “. Christopher couldn’t trust his father "because he had told a lie...” (Haddon 122) Illustrated in the quote, Haddon uses the fear originating from the broken trust to show the impact the event had on Christopher. Christopher had lost all trust in his father, causing him to run away. Christopher running away illustrates his fear and distrust; because his father lied, he didn’t feel safe around him causing him to run away. This would be the crack in the seed. Later in the novel, Christopher and his father get reunited. His father is trying to welcome Christopher with open arms showing his love, but Christopher would just ignore him. Christopher’s father tried to talk to Christopher, “but [he] didn’t answer him.” (Haddon 217). This shows the one-sided relationship between Christopher and his father. Though Christopher’s father tried to show his love, Christopher did not reciprocate that love. The seed cannot grow. Christopher’s frequent deviations from his father caused his father to grow desperate. Christopher’s father wanted to rebuild their relationship. And he was very persistent because “This [was] more important than anything else.” (Haddon 218). Though Christopher’s father but all his efforts into rebuilding their relationship, Christopher was still affected and hurt by the lies told, the broken trust. The father continued to be persistent by trying to show Christopher love and affection, but he declined. The fall in their relationship illustrates how trust can impact emotions. Because of the lies his father told and the secrets he kept, he lost trust in his father.  The seed was first cracked and struggled to grow. The plant sprouted from one side of the seed, but the seed still was not able to grow. 

Because of the trust Christopher put in his mother, their relationship grew. Christopher’s and his mom’s relationship started rocky. Christopher’s mom felt like she was not fit to take care of him, so she left. She believed by leaving she was doing the best thing for Christopher. Though she left Christopher unexpectedly she “still love[d] [him].” (Haddon 98) She still wanted to have that relationship with Christopher even if they were torn apart years ago. This moment represents the plant sprouting from one side of the seed. The plant is trying to grow. When Christopher found the letters and read them, one letter stated: “I was not a very good mother Christopher. Maybe if things had been different... I might have been better at it.” (Haddon 106) Though finding out that his mother was still alive, and that she left him may have been hard on Christopher, the letters made him feel better. She still loved and cared for Christopher, even from a long distance. This caused Christopher to feel safe enough to confide in her after running away from home. Though they have not seen each other in so long, their relationship was still strong. “And I was lying on the ground and Mother held up her right hand and spread her fingers out in a fan so that I could touch her fingers. (Haddon 191) Through the touching of the fingers, a relationship between Christopher and his mother is illustrated. Christopher and his mother spread their fingers and touch hands to show care, like hugging. Because his mother showed that she cared, even though her past actions may of lacked that care, Christopher was able to trust her. Though at first, the relationship started as one-sided, it soon became strong because trust and care was placed on both sided. The plant was able to sprout and grow from both sides of the seed. 

Because of Christopher’s home relationships, he often confides in different people, which causes those relationships to grow. Christopher is not instantly open to new relations. He has been told, and mentions many times in the novel, that he is not allowed to talk to strangers. And “It takes [him] a long time to get used to people [he does] not know...  [He would] just watch them until I know that they are safe.” (Haddon 35). Because he has this extensive process to grow to like someone and to grow a relationship, he only has a few relationships. When Christopher met Ms. Alexander, he was very hesitant around her. Though he was not reciprocating the same emotion Ms. Alexander was, she was still very kind to him and was attempting to be his friend. She made promises stating: “Don’t worry. I’m not going to tell the police and I’m not going to tell your father...” (Haddon 55) This illustrates how emotions and relationships can be one sided. Ms. Alexander still treated Christopher with kindness by offering him food, talking to him regularly, and promising to keep his secret. Similar to the relationship with the mother, the plant is sprouting from one side of the seed, and it has potential to grow. Though Christopher was still hesitant around Ms. Alexander at time, he grew to somewhat trust her. When Christopher was planning to run away to his mother in London, Christopher made the decision to ask Ms. Alexander “Can you look after Toby for me?” (Haddon 132) Christopher has not known Ms. Alexander for long, but because of the one-sided relationship and trust shown through Ms. Alexander, Christopher has grown to trust her a little more. Though the seed of their relationship only sprouted on one side, the plant was still able to grow.  

Mark Haddon uses Christopher’s trust and relationships to explore the cause-and-effect relationship between, emotions, trust, and interactions with others. Christopher’s relationships are like a plant. They require certain things to grow. When the trust was broken between Christopher and his father, that bond could not regrow, and the “plant” died. Trust given blindly or one-sided can cause relationships to grow sometimes. When Ms. Alexander put her trust and care into Christopher, he soon started to reciprocate the same feelings. Though plants need to be watered, have good nutrients, and many other things, the plant can still not thrive. The plant can only thrive with care.