Christopher’s Non-Social Learning Disabilities 1 Lack of Imagination in Play
The second main reason is that people often talk using metaphors ….
And when I try and make picture of the phrase in my head it just confuses me because imaging an apple in some one’s eye does not have any thing to
do with liking some one a lot and it makes you forget what the person was talking about 14
He says that it is confusing to envisage an apple in some one’s eye. It is clearly seen that he has problem in using metaphor. So, it can be interpreted that
Christopher has lack imagination of play. Christopher is a critical person. It can be seen when he criticizes the utterance
“Be quiet” he considers that this utterance is not clear enough. He suggests that it should be clearer such as “Be quiet for five minutes etc”. So that, people clearly
knows how long to be quiet For example, people often say” Be quiet,” but they don’t tell you how long
to be quiet for or you see a sign which says KEEP OFF THE GRASS but it should say KEEP OFF THE GRASS AROUND THIS SIGN or KEEP
OFF ALL THE GRASS IN THIS PARK because there is lots of grass you are allowed to walk on. 29
Based on the way he criticizes the utterance “Be quiet”, it can be interpreted that Christopher has limited representation of social situation. A normal person
who has good understanding of social situation will understand that sign well. Another evidence that shows he has limited language use as a part of play is
seen when Christopher’s father admits that he has murdered the dog. Christopher is surprised and he thinks that it is a joke but since he realizes that it is not a joke
he starts to be afraid of his father. “I wondered if this is a joke, because I don’t understand jokes, and when people tell jokes they don’t mean what they say.”
120. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
In the quotation above, He repeats his statement that he does not understand jokes. Based on the fact that he does not understand jokes, it can be concluded
that Christopher has he has limited language use as a part of play.
2 Stereotyped and Repetitive Interest
Children with autism tend to avoid novel objects and actions. They prefer familiar actions to new actions Siegel 99. Christopher does not like new people
around him. It also can be interpreted that he does not like novel object around him.
Christopher says that he always likes things in a nice order. It can be interpreted that it is part of his Repetitive interest.
Mr. Jeavons asked me whether this made me feels safe, having things always in nice order, and I said it did. Then he asked if I didn’t like things
changing. And I said I wouldn’t mind things changing if I became an astronaut, for example, which is one of the biggest changes you can
imagine, apart from becoming a girl or dying. 25.
He also states that he wouldn’t mind things changing if he becomes an astronaut. The implicit meaning of his statement is that he actually does not like
something changing but if it is good for him he will tolerate that changing. To be an astronaut is his dream, so it will be good to change if he becomes an astronaut.
In the statements above Christopher also says that he does not like talking to stranger. He does not like new people around him. He does not like to open
himself for new people who come in his life. “Talking to strangers is not something I usually do. I do not like talking to the strangers. I do not like
strangers because I do not like people I have never met before. They are hard to understand.” 34. Based on Christopher’s statement that he does not like the
stranger around him, it can be concluded that he tends to avoid novel objects and actions.
According to Byrna Siegel, children with autism prefer familiar actions to new actions 99. It also happens to Christopher. He prefers familiar actions to new
actions or object. New people around him can also be meant new object for him and he does not like this. Then he states that he needs along time to get used to
people he does not know. “It takes me along time to get used to people I do not know. For example, when there is a new member of staff at school I do not talk to
them for weeks and weeks. I just watch them until I know that they are safe.” 35.
It can be seen when there is a new member of staff at school he does not talk to them for weeks and weeks. He just watches them until he knows that they are
safe. It means that he will accept new people around him after they are familiar to him. It proves that Christopher prefers familiar actions to new actions.
C.
Christopher’s Interpersonal Conflicts
According to Redman external conflict, psychologically called interpersonal conflict, means a struggle between the protagonist and an outside force. It happens
when the characters have to face outside forces which are not similar to the characters desire, belief or thinking. The different desire, belief or thinking will
create a conflict between the character and people around him 363. Raven and Kruglanski see interpersonal conflict as tension between two or more social
entities, such as; individual, groups, or larger organizations, which arise from incompatibility of actual or desired responses qtd. in Worchel and Cooper 460.
Christopher as the main character of Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
faces conflicts with the some people around him. As an autistic boy, Christopher has his own thinking which is different from common
people. The fact that he has difficulties to interact with other people in his social life leads him into some conflicts with people around him. The conflicts are
between him and his father, him and the policemen, him and his mother, him and his neighbors. The following are some interpersonal conflicts that Christopher
faces and how he solves the conflict.