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How did I manage to analyse the word "and"? ;_:

Edit: if you're only here for the analysis of and, then use ctrl+f (or find page) and look up the asteriks symbol :] you're welcome

Hey,
I'm currently building a bank of quotes for The Curious Incident of the Dog in The Night-time! Anybody hardly does essays on it cos the rhetorical techniques aren't as obvious as AIC or Shakespeare's, but it's still possible to analyse it!
I appreciate it if you have any quotes that I can add, as well as alternate interpretations for those I've already written!
In exchange, here's some quotes and (intentionally incomplete) analysis!
If this play comes up in your paper, I hope they'll help your studies! :biggrin:

Overstimulation/Emotional Response
“2, 3, 5…” Christopher’s counting to prime numbers in order to calm himself down. Shows when he gets overwhelmed, how he identifies this emotion, and his coping strategies. He also curls into a ball and groans, which may or may not have been his instinctual coping mechanisms.
“cacophonous” Stage direction highlighting Christopher’s perception of Underground adverts, which clash over each other in broken chains of unrelated dialogue. This overstimulates Christopher, who was noted to be looking “a bit worse for wear” and (in stage directions) finds it “more difficult to walk”.

Bravery
“I do not like strangers…I had no choice”
The first reluctant but active step in Christopher’s development as a more independent person. This may also imply that he doesn’t start out as sociable (overall) - Christopher may have assigned his neighbours the label of strangers, limiting opportunities to socialise. However, “I had no choice” shows the importance of his goal (and Wellington) compared to his foundational logic. Thanks to this breakthrough, he gradually interacts more frequently with other people in order to aid his goal, also highlighting his own growth. (bildungsroman mention)

Loss
“I’m sorry, your mother’s died”
Lack of euphemism and amblysia shocks the audience and gets them to sympathise with the Boone family, but Ed’s directness may be connected to the lack of care for Judy.
“Reverend Peters, where is heaven?” Although this eventually leads to Christopher talking about black holes and “firing” dead people into space, this simple question may be him coping with his mother’s (presumed death) and seeking comfort, even if he may or may not truly believe in the concept of heaven - he just wants to know where Judy was back then.

Truth/Lies
“because I can’t tell lies” Shows Christopher’s appreciation of genuine/beneficial information, and his inability to understand why others lie. His immediate exchange of dialogue with the policeman further conveys that Christopher confuses telling the truth with being helpful.
“it [metaphors] should be called a lie” Another example of Christopher confusing terms that aren’t exactly true to definite lies. Showcases black and white thinking - everything is either true or false. Additionally, the reason why Christopher believes idioms/metaphors are confusing is logical - their literal meaning doesn't match up with the colloquial definition (ie it’s raining cats and dogs/it’s raining heavily).

Christopher
“people often tell you to ‘be quiet’, but… how long” Christopher’s literal logic explains his tendency to disobey clear tasks in pursuit of the greater good. His seeking of knowing definite answers (which may comfort him) can become an obstacle in decoding more ‘vague’ orders.
“minutes” Christopher values accuracy and fine details when recounting events, even if it may seem unimportant if recalled by other characters. Also displays his very sharp memory.
“...and…” Recurring use of polysyndeton represents Christopher’s very accurate, active recall, as if he remembers details in real time. However, he never substitutes conjunctives for punctuation when describing lists, resulting in a very bloated chain of unnecessary details (though this can also highlight his hyperawareness). *

Ed
“Jesus, this is the one thing he’s really good at.” Trying to come across as supportive of Christopher’s decisions actually reveals Ed’s faith in his son’s abilities - which isn’t a lot. He also unconsciously blurts out that Christopher is “getting a crap enough deal already”, which may hint at the complicated relationship between him and Judy that has severely affected Christopher’s life and wellbeing.
“Look at me when I’m talking to you…Look at me.” Repetition and imperatives convey Ed’s authority as a father, but the anaphora hints at desperation and insecurity, as Ed has to repeat his words just so they would get fully across and obeyed. Therefore, his parental authority is slipping, just as his secret eventually will, and Ed is fully aware of his loosening hold. (even though Christopher isn’t necessarily a delinquent)

Judy
"I was not a very good mother” Judy admits her mistakes through a letter in an act of catharsis. She may have taken responsibility for her temper and attitude, but she ultimately left her husband and son for her neighbour, which is a faithless act regardless of the circumstances, especially since it is crucial for Christopher to have someone to look up to. To aid her position, the exasperated tone of her letter is crafted to not only define her perspective, but to also get the audience to sympathise with her, such as recounting the chaos Christopher had caused as a child. However, the narrator of the letter constantly alternates between Judy and Siobahn as, at this moment, Christopher may have struggled to perceive Judy as another role model, so Siobahn gradually replaces his target of fondness.

Mrs Alexander
“Oh my goodness” An exclamation repeated twice to portray shock. This may imply that Mrs Alexander has known Judy/the Boones and the Shears to some degree (considering the fact she is aware of the Boone-Shears dynamic), or at least is an empath. Additionally, the repetition of “dear, dear, dear” could infer to her processing the news, and may hint that Ed kept the ‘death’ a secret in order to not attract any attention.

Siobahn
“This is good, Christopher…quite exciting.” The break from narration is one of the first indicators of Siobahn’s rapport with Christopher - encouraging and constructive criticism. This also takes a small break from the plot, easing the pacing.

Toby
“Most people don’t like rats…But rats are very clean.” Christopher’s sympathetic, gentle defiance - he understands and can connect with the misunderstood, just like rats who are believed to “carry diseases”.

Super Quotes (quotes fitting more than one theme and/or character)
“The dog was dead.” Bluntness offers shock to the audience and the seemingly apathetic tone garners sympathy, while also conveying one of Christopher’s methods of processing emotions (logically).
“It’s a bloody dog” Ed’s reply to Christopher’s determination in investigating Wellington’s killer. On one hand, Ed’s remark simply reduces Mrs Shear’s pet into a lowly animal - this reduced perception of Wellington is a common recurrence throughout the play. On the other hand, Christopher empathises with the fact that Wellington was a living being (“I think…dogs are cleverer than some people.”). Christopher’s stubbornness to not think of Wellington’s death as a “little crime” and to unmask the murderer can be admired by the audience. Furthermore, the use of the word “bloody” can be easily dismissed as a use of a curse, but the word has connotations with death and violence, foreshadowing Ed’s association with Wellington.
“I would be…sad about something that…doesn’t exist and that would be stupid.” Christopher’s reasoning about his lack of emotion towards Judy’s affair. According to him, if Judy is ‘dead’, then the affair ceases to exist, and therefore it doesn’t matter - at least anymore. This may have highlighted Christopher’s more resilient attribute, which may have helped him cope with Mrs Alexander’s information.

(edited 1 month ago)

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