Analysis of Narrative Technique in Mark Haddon's 'The Curious Insident of The Dog in The Night-Time' and Cammie McGovern's 'Eye Contact'.
ABSTRACT
Dalam skripsi ini, saya menganalisis teknik narasi dari dua novel. Novel pertama ditulis
oleh Mark Haddon dengan judul The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time dan novel
kedua ditulis oleh Cammie McGovern dengan judul Eye Contact. Kedua novel tersebut
merupakan novel misteri yang melibatkan tokoh pengidap autisme. Saya akan menganalisis
elemen-elemen teknik narasi yang terdiri dari: point of view, style, time and tempo, dan distance.
Dalam The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Mark Haddon menyampaikan
ceritanya melalui sudut pandang tokoh utamanya, yaitu Christopher Boone. Novel tersebut
ditulis dalam bentuk jurnal yang menceritakan misteri yang dialami oleh tokoh utama dan
bagaimana ia memecahkannya. Dalam novel Eye Contact, Cammie McGovern menggunakan
sudut pandang omniscient yang menarasikan beberapa tokoh. Novel ini bercerita tentang seorang
anak laki-laki, Adam, yang menyaksikan teman sekelasnya dibunuh. Beberapa tokoh yang
dinarasikan berperan penting dalam penyampaian cerita tersebut.
Ada beberapa persamaan dan perbedaan teknik narasi yang digunakan oleh kedua
pengarang dalam menyampaikan cerita misteri mereka. Selain gaya bahasa yang digunakan dan
tempo, serta distance yang dihasilkan, persamaan lain adalah kedua novel tersebut melibatkan
tokoh yang mengidap autisme yang berperan penting bagi jalan cerita masing-masing novel.
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Adapun perbedaan yang didapat dari kedua novel adalah dalam hal point of view, style, dan
tempo.
Walaupun kedua novel tersebut menggunakan teknik narasi yang berbeda untuk
menyampaikan cerita mereka, kedua pengarang telah berhasil menyampaikan cerita misteri
mereka dengan sangat baik. Pembaca dapat mengikuti alur cerita misteri tersebut serta
memahaminya. Teknik narasi yang digunakan oleh masing-masing pengarang telah berhasil
menimbulkan efek tegang dan penasaran dalam diri pembaca.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS ………………..…….……………………………………………….i
ABSTRACT………………………………..……………………………………………...…… ii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
……….……………………………………….…………...1
Statement of the Problem ……………………………………………………………….4
Purpose of the Study ……………………………………………………………...…….4
Method of Research ………………………………………………………………….....4
Organization of the Thesis …………………………………………………………...…5
CHAPTER TWO: THEORY OF NARRATIVE TECHNIQUE …………….………….....6
CHAPTER THREE: ANALYSIS OF NARRATIVE TECHNIQUE
IN THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME ……….…...10
CHAPTER FOUR: ANALYSIS OF NARRATIVE TECHNIQUE
IN EYE CONTACT ……………………………………………………………………26
CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION ………………………………………………………….39
BIBLIOGRAPHY …………………………………………………………………………….44
APPENDICES
Synopsis of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time …………………….....46
Synopsis of Eye Contact ……………………...……………………….……………….47
Biography of Mark Haddon …………………………………………………………....48
Biography of Cammie McGovern ……………………………………………………..49
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APPENDICES
Synopsis of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
This novel revolves around Christopher Boone, a fifteen-year-old boy who
has an Asperger syndrome yet excels in Mathematics. Christopher lives with his
father since his mother moves away. However, his father tells him that his mother has
died of heart attack. The story begins when Christopher finds the dead body of
Wellington, a big poodle of his neighbor Mrs. Shears. He later decides to track down
who has killed Wellington and puts it into a journal.
Despite his father’s strong disapproval of his decision to track down the killer,
Christopher insists on doing so. On investigating one of his neighbors, Mrs.
Alexander, he is informed about the affairs that his mother has had with Mr. Shears.
One day, his father finds his journal and keeps it. Christopher, who is persistent in
continuing his spy, looks for his journal in his father’s closet where he also finds
letters addressed to him from his mother, who is actually still alive.
In an attempt to explain his lie about his wife’s death, Christopher’s father
reveals that he has actually killed Wellington because he is upset with Mrs. Shears.
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Shocked and scared, Christopher decides to run away to his mother in London before
both of them finally return to Swindon, where Christopher takes his almost delayed
A-level Mathematics examination and gets the perfect score. His relationship with his
father also gets better after his father apologizes to him and buys him a little poodle
which he later names Sandy. In the end, he lives with his mother in the same city,
separated from his father.
Synopsis of Eye Contact
One afternoon, Adam, a nine-year-old autistic boy, is reported missing during
school hours. A few hours later, the police find him with a fellow student in the
woods behind the school. It is a surprising fact since Cara, his mother, knows that
Adam does not have friends as he has never talked about any friends before. The
student Adam is with is Amelia Best, but she is found dead on the location. Adam,
who surely becomes the key of the investigation in locating the murderer, has pulled
himself back because he is shocked.
The murder involves Kevin, a man in Cara’s past who turns out to be Adam’s
father. He is suspected of the murder since it is proven that he is in the woods when
the kids are missing.
Cara agrees when Adam’s school teachers suggest getting him an older
company from school, Morgan, to be Adam’s aid as Morgan’s punishment for his
criminal action. Surprisingly, Morgan copes with Adam very well. Adam speaks his
first words when he meets Morgan after having kept silent since the murder day.
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Morgan, who is obsessed to find out who the murderer is, lists the people of
whom he is suspicious. One of them is Chris, his friend. Even though he is not the
murderer, Chris is involved in the murder.
That afternoon, Chris takes his friend, Hare, to the woods to take some
revenge because he is often bullied by Hare. Chris hides his knife in the woods and
unfortunately it is found by Amelia. At that time, Amelia and Adam are in the woods
waiting for Kevin, who is actually Adam’s father. Hare, who suddenly loses his
temper, stabs Amelia with the knife.
Finally, Hare is arrested while Cara re-builds her relationship with Kevin.
Biography of Mark Haddon
Mark Haddon is an English author, poet, painter, illustrator, and cartoonist.
He was born in Northampton on 26 September 1962. He took various jobs dealing
with children and adults with mental and physical disabilities.
Gilbert’s Gobstopper, his first children book, was published in 1987, followed
by many other children books such as the Agent Z and Baby Dinosaurs series. The
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time was published in 2003 and has gained a
huge success. With a child with Asperger syndrome as the protagonist who is trying
to solve a mystery, this novel has won more than seventeen prestigious awards,
including British Book Awards Book of the Year (2003), Whitbread Novel Award
(2003), and Guardian Children's Fiction Prize (2003). This book has sold for more
than 10 million copies.
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Haddon also published his book of poetry The Talking Horse and the Sad Girl
and the Village Under the Sea, which has been put into the short-list of Arvon
Foundation International Poetry Competition. His latest novel, A Spot of Bother
(2006), was nominated for the 2006 Costa Novel Award. Mark Haddon has also
written plays for Radio Four and won two BAFTAs for Microsoap, a children’s
television drama.
Mark Haddon now teaches creative writing for the Arvon Foundation and
Oxford University. He lives in Oxford with his wife Dr. Sos Eltis and their two sons.
(Holcombe, “Inside a Curious Mind”)
Biography of Cammie McGovern
Cammie McGovern is an American author. She was born on 8 September
1963. She studied at Kenyon College and took her MFA degree at the University of
Michigan. She was awarded a creative writing fellowship at Stanford University.
McGovern’s first novel, The Art of Seeing, was first published in 2002 and
given many good reviews for its story about a rivalry in a sisterhood, which also
reflects the life of celebrities in Hollywood. Her second novel, Eye Contact, has also
grabbed much attention and praises of many readers with its murder story involving
an eight-year-old boy with autism. With this novel, Cammie McGovern has
succeeded to portray a memorable mother-son relationship in a thriller story.
Neighborhood Watch, her latest novel, was published in June 2010.
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McGovern has received many prizes for her short stories such as Nelson
Algren Award for Short Fiction. Her short stories have appeared in many magazines
including Glamour, Ladies Home Journal, Redbook, and Seventeen. She has also read
her stories on the BBC Radio World Short Stories Series and featured in Noble’s
Discover Great New Writers Series.
Cammie McGovern is one of the founders of Whole Children, a resource
center that runs after-school classes and programs for children with special needs.
She now lives in Springfield, Massachusetts, with her husband and three children, the
eldest of whom is autistics like the hero of her novel entitled Eye Contact.
(Mahoney, “Meet Cammie”)
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
“Mystery is a genre of fiction in which a detective, either an amateur or a
professional, solves a crime or a series of crime” (Wiehardt). Based on that definition,
it is concluded that a novel can be called a mystery novel when its story revolves
around a crime that one investigates and that person is not necessarily a professional.
Thus, the investigator of the crime might be anyone. I choose to analyze a novel by
Mark Haddon and another by Cammie McGovern, which both talk about murder.
Besides its genre, another similarity between these two novels is that they involve
children who suffer from autism syndrome.
Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is
undoubtedly considered a breath-taking novel. Appearing as a journal of Christopher,
a fifteen-year-old boy with Asperger syndrome who deals with murder mystery, this
novel has won no less than twelve prizes and awards, making it the most outstanding
work of Haddon’s so far. This novel has interested many children and adults, “People
are passionate about its wit, its brilliance and its humane insight into the milder forms
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of autism” (Craig). Another thing that makes this novel interesting is the way
Christopher delivers his story which turns this novel into an “emotional rollercoaster” (Weich), despite his own incapability in understanding human feelings and
emotions.
Mark Haddon is an English author, poet, painter, illustrator, and cartoonist.
Since 1987, he has published many children’s books and also novels which have
gained him many prestigious awards and prizes. His works have contributed many
fresh injections to the literary world, such as his poem collection and children’s
books, not to mention his phenomenal novels. It is stated in contemporarywriters.com
that “Haddon’s achievement is to have created something entirely new” (Holcombe).
A story of a murder investigation involving a boy with autism can also be
found in Eye Contact, written by Cammie McGovern. This novel amuses the reader
with a murder story involving a nine-year-old autistic Adam, who becomes the key
witness. The reader will find it thrilling to follow the investigation of the murder and
be touched by the family drama in the characters’ lives. It is stated in “Eye Contact
Review” that “Eye Contact is a beautifully written, page-turning novel that will
appeal to both mystery lovers and those who favor family dramas” (McQuay).
The author, Cammie McGovern is an American author who has published
three novels since 2002, and all have received numerous positive criticisms and
reviews. Her contribution to literature is proven by the many prizes and awards she
has won for her short stories which have been published in several magazines. She is
even compared to the famous thriller author, Jodi Picoult. It is stated in a review on
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her work, “Cammie McGovern is going to give Jodi Picoult a run for her money”
(“Eye Contact”).
I choose to analyze the narrative technique of the two novels, because I find it
interesting to discuss. Although both are mystery novels, the success of the story does
not merely depend on the plot, but also on the narrative technique used. The authors
use different narrative techniques in writing their mystery novels. Narrative technique
is a way chosen by a writer to tell a story for the purpose of giving the reader certain
effects the writer wants them to reach (Eastman 31). There are four elements of
narrative technique: point of view, time and tempo, style, and distance (Eastman 3156). The complete theory of narrative technique will be explained in Chapter Two.
Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is worth
analyzing since “The hook, the plot - is significantly better than good, but it's the
irresistible voice of Mark Haddon's young narrator, Christopher Boone, that elevates
this literary debut to fantastic heights” (Weich). The narrative technique used in
Cammie McGovern’s Eye Contact is also worth analyzing since the author not only
uses the main character Adam, but also digs into other characters’ thoughts in
revealing the mystery. In other words, the reader will find it less difficult to follow
the flow of the story and to understand the whole situation through the clues given by
Adam and the other characters. In this case, the characters are closely connected to
the point of view used by the author.
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Statement of the Problem
1. What are the narrative techniques the authors use in The Curious Incident of
the Dog in the Night-time and Eye Contact?
2. What are the effects of each narrative technique used on the readers?
Purpose of the Study
Based on the statements of the problem that have been mentioned, the
purposes of the study are:
1. to show the narrative technique used in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the
Night-time and Eye Contact.
2. to show the effects achieved through the use of each narrative technique.
Method of Research
I use library research for my thesis. First I read The Curious Incident of the
Dog in the Night-time and Eye Contact as the primary texts. Second, I also read a
couple of books and compile some data from the Internet so as to support my analysis
of the narrative technique used in the novels. Finally, I draw some conclusions from
my analysis.
Organization of the Thesis
This thesis consists of five chapters, preceded by Acknowledgments, Table of
Contents, and Abstract. The first chapter is Introduction, which consists of
Background of the Study, Statement of the Problem, Purpose of the Study, Method of
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Research, and Organization of the Thesis. The second chapter contains the theory on
narrative technique. Then, the third chapter is the analysis of the narrative technique
in Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. The fourth
chapter is the analysis of the narrative technique in Cammie McGovern’ Eye Contact.
The fifth chapter is Conclusion, followed by the bibliography and the appendices,
which contain the synopsis of the novels and the biography of the authors.
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CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION
After analyzing Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime and Cammie McGovern’s Eye Contact, I conclude that both of the novels are
successful mystery novels even though the authors deliver them by using different
narrative technique. There are some similarities and differences in the narrative
technique used in the two novels.
The first similarity of both novels is that they are mystery novels which
involve autistic characters who are essential to the story. In the first novel, the
protagonist is Christopher Boone, a fifteen-year-old boy who suffers from Asperger
syndrome. The novel is actually his journal about his investigation of the death of
Wellington, his neighbor’s dog. The murder leads him to another mystery to solve.
The second novel, Eye Contact, involves a seven-year-old autistic boy named Adam.
He is essential to the story because he is the key witness of the murder of his
classmate Amelia which happens in the woods.
The second similarity of the elements of narrative technique lies in tempo.
The tempo of both novel changes depending on the story. In The Curious Incident of
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the Dog in the Night-time, the tempo slows down whenever the narrator is talking
about his favorite subjects, such as Mathematics and Science. Whereas, the tempo
speeds up whenever he is telling about certain situations which happen to him. In the
second novel, Eye Contact, the tempo speeds up when the narrator reveals the
flashback about Adam, the key witness of the murder. The readers get the
information about what actually happens piece by piece. Meanwhile, the tempo slows
down when the narrator reveals a certain time through two characters. It gives the
readers a complete picture of the situation seen from both characters at that time and
place. The tempo also slows down when the narrator reveals the flashback about the
characters except about Adam. The characters’ flashbacks are often given in long and
detailed narration. The use of slangs and idioms gives the readers a chance to be close
to the characters and to get information about the mystery.
The last similarity of the two novels is the language style. Even though there
are some differences in the style of the novels, both of them use informal language. In
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, there are slangs and idioms used
to indicate informality. They make the story feel natural. The informal language is
also used in the second novel, Eye Contact. Even though the story is closely
connected to formal matter, such as judicial process, it does not involve any formal
terms. The informal language in both novels makes the readers feel closer to the
characters. It also helps the readers to understand the story and the mystery better.
The use of other elements of narrative technique in both novels is different.
Their first difference is in the style, except for the language style which is similar. In
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The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, there are many pictures which
give more explanation about what the narrator is talking about. It also involves many
conversations repeated by the narrator himself. The pictures are closely related to the
point of view used and the fact that the mystery is written in a journal form, which
enables the narrator to write anything he wants. In the second novel, Eye Contact, the
story is delivered using an ordinary narration without any pictures. However, it does
not give any negative effect to the readers because the story is well-delivered and the
readers can understand it.
The other difference between the two novels is the point of view. The
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time uses the first person point of view of
the protagonist, Christopher Boone. The point of view is closely related to the form of
the novel, which is a journal. The first person point of view is appropriate because
Christopher is the one who investigates the mystery. It adds the enjoyment of the
readers in reading the story. The readers will also feel as if they were investigating
the mystery with Christopher. In the second novel, Eye Contact, the author uses the
third person omniscient point of view to narrate multiple characters. Each character
narrated has their own role in revealing the mystery. They are helpful because the
readers will get clues from many characters, so that readers are able to follow the
mystery well. The point of view in the novel also helps the readers to be close not
only to one character, but to many. The omniscient point of view is appropriate since
it enables the readers to get more information from Adam, the key witness, even
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though he does not want to talk since he witnesses the murder as he suffers from
autism and trauma.
The other difference between the novels is in the element of time. Since The
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is written in the form of journal, the
time treatment is chronological. Therefore, there is no flashback in this novel. The
information of the narrator’s past life is retold by the narrator himself. On the
contrary, there are many flashbacks in the second novel, Eye Contact. The readers are
given many flashbacks about the characters that are very useful for them and which
are related to the mystery.
Despite the differences between the two novels, both authors have
successfully managed to create a close distance between the readers and the story.
They are also successful in delivering their mystery novels through the different
narrative techniques they use. The readers can understand the plot well. The readers
can also feel the tension and the curiosity when reading the story so that the readers
will get the surprise, which is important regarding the genre. Since both novels are
mystery, the authors have successfully led the readers to follow and understand the
mystery.
To sum up, both novels use the narrative technique which focuses more on the
characters who are investigating the mystery, so the readers can act as if they were
investigating the mystery with the characters. It is also clear that the authors limit the
exploration of the character who becomes the key witness, so the readers can feel the
curiosity and the tension while exploring the mystery. Therefore, it is clear that even
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though each of the authors uses different narrative techniques, both have skillfully
delivered the mystery. The mysteries become interesting because both authors have
used the appropriate narrative techniques which enable them to reach their purposes.
The narrative technique used in each novel gives the readers enjoyment in
reading them. However, I personally find more enjoyment in reading The Curious
Incident of the Dog in the Night-time because of the style used by the author. The
journal form adds more tension and curiosity to the mystery because it is delivered by
the character who makes the investigation. I also find the pictures very enjoyable and
they help me to understand what is in the narrator’s mind despite his inability to
explain his feelings. In turn, I also gain more knowledge about Asperger Syndrome
suffered by the narrator because of the point of view used.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary texts:
Haddon, Mark. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. New York:
Vintage Books, 2003. Print.
McGovern, Cammie. Eye Contact. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.
References:
“Asperger’s Syndrome”. WebMD, 2011. Web. 30 Sept 2011.
Craig, Amanda. “Mark Haddon”, 2004. Web. 6 Apr 2011.
Eastman, Richard. A Guide to the Novel. California: Chandler Publishing Company,
1965. Print.
“Eye Contact”. Cammie McGovern, 2010. Web. 2 Apr 2011.
“Facts About ASDs”. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010. Web. 2 Apr
2011.
Holcombe, Garan. “Mark Haddon”. Contemporary Writers, 2004. Web. 18 Mar
2011.
“Inside a Curious Mind”. The Sunday Times, 2006. Web. 18 Mar 2011.
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Mahoney, Kevin. “So you'd like to... find out more about Cammie McGovern”.
Amazon. 2011. Web. 2 Apr 2011.
McQuay, Angela. “Eye Contact Review”. Curled Up, 2006. Web. 2 Apr 2011.
“Meet Cammie”, n.d. Web. 18 Mar 2011.
Weich, David. Powells. “The Curiously Irresistible Literary Debut of Mark Haddon”,
2003. Web. 2 Apr 2011.
Wiehardt, Ginny. “Mystery Novel”. About.com, 2011. Web. 5 Apr 2011.
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Dalam skripsi ini, saya menganalisis teknik narasi dari dua novel. Novel pertama ditulis
oleh Mark Haddon dengan judul The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time dan novel
kedua ditulis oleh Cammie McGovern dengan judul Eye Contact. Kedua novel tersebut
merupakan novel misteri yang melibatkan tokoh pengidap autisme. Saya akan menganalisis
elemen-elemen teknik narasi yang terdiri dari: point of view, style, time and tempo, dan distance.
Dalam The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Mark Haddon menyampaikan
ceritanya melalui sudut pandang tokoh utamanya, yaitu Christopher Boone. Novel tersebut
ditulis dalam bentuk jurnal yang menceritakan misteri yang dialami oleh tokoh utama dan
bagaimana ia memecahkannya. Dalam novel Eye Contact, Cammie McGovern menggunakan
sudut pandang omniscient yang menarasikan beberapa tokoh. Novel ini bercerita tentang seorang
anak laki-laki, Adam, yang menyaksikan teman sekelasnya dibunuh. Beberapa tokoh yang
dinarasikan berperan penting dalam penyampaian cerita tersebut.
Ada beberapa persamaan dan perbedaan teknik narasi yang digunakan oleh kedua
pengarang dalam menyampaikan cerita misteri mereka. Selain gaya bahasa yang digunakan dan
tempo, serta distance yang dihasilkan, persamaan lain adalah kedua novel tersebut melibatkan
tokoh yang mengidap autisme yang berperan penting bagi jalan cerita masing-masing novel.
ii
Maranatha Christian University
Adapun perbedaan yang didapat dari kedua novel adalah dalam hal point of view, style, dan
tempo.
Walaupun kedua novel tersebut menggunakan teknik narasi yang berbeda untuk
menyampaikan cerita mereka, kedua pengarang telah berhasil menyampaikan cerita misteri
mereka dengan sangat baik. Pembaca dapat mengikuti alur cerita misteri tersebut serta
memahaminya. Teknik narasi yang digunakan oleh masing-masing pengarang telah berhasil
menimbulkan efek tegang dan penasaran dalam diri pembaca.
iii
Maranatha Christian University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS ………………..…….……………………………………………….i
ABSTRACT………………………………..……………………………………………...…… ii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
……….……………………………………….…………...1
Statement of the Problem ……………………………………………………………….4
Purpose of the Study ……………………………………………………………...…….4
Method of Research ………………………………………………………………….....4
Organization of the Thesis …………………………………………………………...…5
CHAPTER TWO: THEORY OF NARRATIVE TECHNIQUE …………….………….....6
CHAPTER THREE: ANALYSIS OF NARRATIVE TECHNIQUE
IN THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME ……….…...10
CHAPTER FOUR: ANALYSIS OF NARRATIVE TECHNIQUE
IN EYE CONTACT ……………………………………………………………………26
CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION ………………………………………………………….39
BIBLIOGRAPHY …………………………………………………………………………….44
APPENDICES
Synopsis of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time …………………….....46
Synopsis of Eye Contact ……………………...……………………….……………….47
Biography of Mark Haddon …………………………………………………………....48
Biography of Cammie McGovern ……………………………………………………..49
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APPENDICES
Synopsis of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
This novel revolves around Christopher Boone, a fifteen-year-old boy who
has an Asperger syndrome yet excels in Mathematics. Christopher lives with his
father since his mother moves away. However, his father tells him that his mother has
died of heart attack. The story begins when Christopher finds the dead body of
Wellington, a big poodle of his neighbor Mrs. Shears. He later decides to track down
who has killed Wellington and puts it into a journal.
Despite his father’s strong disapproval of his decision to track down the killer,
Christopher insists on doing so. On investigating one of his neighbors, Mrs.
Alexander, he is informed about the affairs that his mother has had with Mr. Shears.
One day, his father finds his journal and keeps it. Christopher, who is persistent in
continuing his spy, looks for his journal in his father’s closet where he also finds
letters addressed to him from his mother, who is actually still alive.
In an attempt to explain his lie about his wife’s death, Christopher’s father
reveals that he has actually killed Wellington because he is upset with Mrs. Shears.
46
Shocked and scared, Christopher decides to run away to his mother in London before
both of them finally return to Swindon, where Christopher takes his almost delayed
A-level Mathematics examination and gets the perfect score. His relationship with his
father also gets better after his father apologizes to him and buys him a little poodle
which he later names Sandy. In the end, he lives with his mother in the same city,
separated from his father.
Synopsis of Eye Contact
One afternoon, Adam, a nine-year-old autistic boy, is reported missing during
school hours. A few hours later, the police find him with a fellow student in the
woods behind the school. It is a surprising fact since Cara, his mother, knows that
Adam does not have friends as he has never talked about any friends before. The
student Adam is with is Amelia Best, but she is found dead on the location. Adam,
who surely becomes the key of the investigation in locating the murderer, has pulled
himself back because he is shocked.
The murder involves Kevin, a man in Cara’s past who turns out to be Adam’s
father. He is suspected of the murder since it is proven that he is in the woods when
the kids are missing.
Cara agrees when Adam’s school teachers suggest getting him an older
company from school, Morgan, to be Adam’s aid as Morgan’s punishment for his
criminal action. Surprisingly, Morgan copes with Adam very well. Adam speaks his
first words when he meets Morgan after having kept silent since the murder day.
47
Morgan, who is obsessed to find out who the murderer is, lists the people of
whom he is suspicious. One of them is Chris, his friend. Even though he is not the
murderer, Chris is involved in the murder.
That afternoon, Chris takes his friend, Hare, to the woods to take some
revenge because he is often bullied by Hare. Chris hides his knife in the woods and
unfortunately it is found by Amelia. At that time, Amelia and Adam are in the woods
waiting for Kevin, who is actually Adam’s father. Hare, who suddenly loses his
temper, stabs Amelia with the knife.
Finally, Hare is arrested while Cara re-builds her relationship with Kevin.
Biography of Mark Haddon
Mark Haddon is an English author, poet, painter, illustrator, and cartoonist.
He was born in Northampton on 26 September 1962. He took various jobs dealing
with children and adults with mental and physical disabilities.
Gilbert’s Gobstopper, his first children book, was published in 1987, followed
by many other children books such as the Agent Z and Baby Dinosaurs series. The
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time was published in 2003 and has gained a
huge success. With a child with Asperger syndrome as the protagonist who is trying
to solve a mystery, this novel has won more than seventeen prestigious awards,
including British Book Awards Book of the Year (2003), Whitbread Novel Award
(2003), and Guardian Children's Fiction Prize (2003). This book has sold for more
than 10 million copies.
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Haddon also published his book of poetry The Talking Horse and the Sad Girl
and the Village Under the Sea, which has been put into the short-list of Arvon
Foundation International Poetry Competition. His latest novel, A Spot of Bother
(2006), was nominated for the 2006 Costa Novel Award. Mark Haddon has also
written plays for Radio Four and won two BAFTAs for Microsoap, a children’s
television drama.
Mark Haddon now teaches creative writing for the Arvon Foundation and
Oxford University. He lives in Oxford with his wife Dr. Sos Eltis and their two sons.
(Holcombe, “Inside a Curious Mind”)
Biography of Cammie McGovern
Cammie McGovern is an American author. She was born on 8 September
1963. She studied at Kenyon College and took her MFA degree at the University of
Michigan. She was awarded a creative writing fellowship at Stanford University.
McGovern’s first novel, The Art of Seeing, was first published in 2002 and
given many good reviews for its story about a rivalry in a sisterhood, which also
reflects the life of celebrities in Hollywood. Her second novel, Eye Contact, has also
grabbed much attention and praises of many readers with its murder story involving
an eight-year-old boy with autism. With this novel, Cammie McGovern has
succeeded to portray a memorable mother-son relationship in a thriller story.
Neighborhood Watch, her latest novel, was published in June 2010.
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McGovern has received many prizes for her short stories such as Nelson
Algren Award for Short Fiction. Her short stories have appeared in many magazines
including Glamour, Ladies Home Journal, Redbook, and Seventeen. She has also read
her stories on the BBC Radio World Short Stories Series and featured in Noble’s
Discover Great New Writers Series.
Cammie McGovern is one of the founders of Whole Children, a resource
center that runs after-school classes and programs for children with special needs.
She now lives in Springfield, Massachusetts, with her husband and three children, the
eldest of whom is autistics like the hero of her novel entitled Eye Contact.
(Mahoney, “Meet Cammie”)
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
“Mystery is a genre of fiction in which a detective, either an amateur or a
professional, solves a crime or a series of crime” (Wiehardt). Based on that definition,
it is concluded that a novel can be called a mystery novel when its story revolves
around a crime that one investigates and that person is not necessarily a professional.
Thus, the investigator of the crime might be anyone. I choose to analyze a novel by
Mark Haddon and another by Cammie McGovern, which both talk about murder.
Besides its genre, another similarity between these two novels is that they involve
children who suffer from autism syndrome.
Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is
undoubtedly considered a breath-taking novel. Appearing as a journal of Christopher,
a fifteen-year-old boy with Asperger syndrome who deals with murder mystery, this
novel has won no less than twelve prizes and awards, making it the most outstanding
work of Haddon’s so far. This novel has interested many children and adults, “People
are passionate about its wit, its brilliance and its humane insight into the milder forms
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of autism” (Craig). Another thing that makes this novel interesting is the way
Christopher delivers his story which turns this novel into an “emotional rollercoaster” (Weich), despite his own incapability in understanding human feelings and
emotions.
Mark Haddon is an English author, poet, painter, illustrator, and cartoonist.
Since 1987, he has published many children’s books and also novels which have
gained him many prestigious awards and prizes. His works have contributed many
fresh injections to the literary world, such as his poem collection and children’s
books, not to mention his phenomenal novels. It is stated in contemporarywriters.com
that “Haddon’s achievement is to have created something entirely new” (Holcombe).
A story of a murder investigation involving a boy with autism can also be
found in Eye Contact, written by Cammie McGovern. This novel amuses the reader
with a murder story involving a nine-year-old autistic Adam, who becomes the key
witness. The reader will find it thrilling to follow the investigation of the murder and
be touched by the family drama in the characters’ lives. It is stated in “Eye Contact
Review” that “Eye Contact is a beautifully written, page-turning novel that will
appeal to both mystery lovers and those who favor family dramas” (McQuay).
The author, Cammie McGovern is an American author who has published
three novels since 2002, and all have received numerous positive criticisms and
reviews. Her contribution to literature is proven by the many prizes and awards she
has won for her short stories which have been published in several magazines. She is
even compared to the famous thriller author, Jodi Picoult. It is stated in a review on
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her work, “Cammie McGovern is going to give Jodi Picoult a run for her money”
(“Eye Contact”).
I choose to analyze the narrative technique of the two novels, because I find it
interesting to discuss. Although both are mystery novels, the success of the story does
not merely depend on the plot, but also on the narrative technique used. The authors
use different narrative techniques in writing their mystery novels. Narrative technique
is a way chosen by a writer to tell a story for the purpose of giving the reader certain
effects the writer wants them to reach (Eastman 31). There are four elements of
narrative technique: point of view, time and tempo, style, and distance (Eastman 3156). The complete theory of narrative technique will be explained in Chapter Two.
Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is worth
analyzing since “The hook, the plot - is significantly better than good, but it's the
irresistible voice of Mark Haddon's young narrator, Christopher Boone, that elevates
this literary debut to fantastic heights” (Weich). The narrative technique used in
Cammie McGovern’s Eye Contact is also worth analyzing since the author not only
uses the main character Adam, but also digs into other characters’ thoughts in
revealing the mystery. In other words, the reader will find it less difficult to follow
the flow of the story and to understand the whole situation through the clues given by
Adam and the other characters. In this case, the characters are closely connected to
the point of view used by the author.
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Statement of the Problem
1. What are the narrative techniques the authors use in The Curious Incident of
the Dog in the Night-time and Eye Contact?
2. What are the effects of each narrative technique used on the readers?
Purpose of the Study
Based on the statements of the problem that have been mentioned, the
purposes of the study are:
1. to show the narrative technique used in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the
Night-time and Eye Contact.
2. to show the effects achieved through the use of each narrative technique.
Method of Research
I use library research for my thesis. First I read The Curious Incident of the
Dog in the Night-time and Eye Contact as the primary texts. Second, I also read a
couple of books and compile some data from the Internet so as to support my analysis
of the narrative technique used in the novels. Finally, I draw some conclusions from
my analysis.
Organization of the Thesis
This thesis consists of five chapters, preceded by Acknowledgments, Table of
Contents, and Abstract. The first chapter is Introduction, which consists of
Background of the Study, Statement of the Problem, Purpose of the Study, Method of
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Research, and Organization of the Thesis. The second chapter contains the theory on
narrative technique. Then, the third chapter is the analysis of the narrative technique
in Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. The fourth
chapter is the analysis of the narrative technique in Cammie McGovern’ Eye Contact.
The fifth chapter is Conclusion, followed by the bibliography and the appendices,
which contain the synopsis of the novels and the biography of the authors.
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CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION
After analyzing Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime and Cammie McGovern’s Eye Contact, I conclude that both of the novels are
successful mystery novels even though the authors deliver them by using different
narrative technique. There are some similarities and differences in the narrative
technique used in the two novels.
The first similarity of both novels is that they are mystery novels which
involve autistic characters who are essential to the story. In the first novel, the
protagonist is Christopher Boone, a fifteen-year-old boy who suffers from Asperger
syndrome. The novel is actually his journal about his investigation of the death of
Wellington, his neighbor’s dog. The murder leads him to another mystery to solve.
The second novel, Eye Contact, involves a seven-year-old autistic boy named Adam.
He is essential to the story because he is the key witness of the murder of his
classmate Amelia which happens in the woods.
The second similarity of the elements of narrative technique lies in tempo.
The tempo of both novel changes depending on the story. In The Curious Incident of
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the Dog in the Night-time, the tempo slows down whenever the narrator is talking
about his favorite subjects, such as Mathematics and Science. Whereas, the tempo
speeds up whenever he is telling about certain situations which happen to him. In the
second novel, Eye Contact, the tempo speeds up when the narrator reveals the
flashback about Adam, the key witness of the murder. The readers get the
information about what actually happens piece by piece. Meanwhile, the tempo slows
down when the narrator reveals a certain time through two characters. It gives the
readers a complete picture of the situation seen from both characters at that time and
place. The tempo also slows down when the narrator reveals the flashback about the
characters except about Adam. The characters’ flashbacks are often given in long and
detailed narration. The use of slangs and idioms gives the readers a chance to be close
to the characters and to get information about the mystery.
The last similarity of the two novels is the language style. Even though there
are some differences in the style of the novels, both of them use informal language. In
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, there are slangs and idioms used
to indicate informality. They make the story feel natural. The informal language is
also used in the second novel, Eye Contact. Even though the story is closely
connected to formal matter, such as judicial process, it does not involve any formal
terms. The informal language in both novels makes the readers feel closer to the
characters. It also helps the readers to understand the story and the mystery better.
The use of other elements of narrative technique in both novels is different.
Their first difference is in the style, except for the language style which is similar. In
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The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, there are many pictures which
give more explanation about what the narrator is talking about. It also involves many
conversations repeated by the narrator himself. The pictures are closely related to the
point of view used and the fact that the mystery is written in a journal form, which
enables the narrator to write anything he wants. In the second novel, Eye Contact, the
story is delivered using an ordinary narration without any pictures. However, it does
not give any negative effect to the readers because the story is well-delivered and the
readers can understand it.
The other difference between the two novels is the point of view. The
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time uses the first person point of view of
the protagonist, Christopher Boone. The point of view is closely related to the form of
the novel, which is a journal. The first person point of view is appropriate because
Christopher is the one who investigates the mystery. It adds the enjoyment of the
readers in reading the story. The readers will also feel as if they were investigating
the mystery with Christopher. In the second novel, Eye Contact, the author uses the
third person omniscient point of view to narrate multiple characters. Each character
narrated has their own role in revealing the mystery. They are helpful because the
readers will get clues from many characters, so that readers are able to follow the
mystery well. The point of view in the novel also helps the readers to be close not
only to one character, but to many. The omniscient point of view is appropriate since
it enables the readers to get more information from Adam, the key witness, even
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though he does not want to talk since he witnesses the murder as he suffers from
autism and trauma.
The other difference between the novels is in the element of time. Since The
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is written in the form of journal, the
time treatment is chronological. Therefore, there is no flashback in this novel. The
information of the narrator’s past life is retold by the narrator himself. On the
contrary, there are many flashbacks in the second novel, Eye Contact. The readers are
given many flashbacks about the characters that are very useful for them and which
are related to the mystery.
Despite the differences between the two novels, both authors have
successfully managed to create a close distance between the readers and the story.
They are also successful in delivering their mystery novels through the different
narrative techniques they use. The readers can understand the plot well. The readers
can also feel the tension and the curiosity when reading the story so that the readers
will get the surprise, which is important regarding the genre. Since both novels are
mystery, the authors have successfully led the readers to follow and understand the
mystery.
To sum up, both novels use the narrative technique which focuses more on the
characters who are investigating the mystery, so the readers can act as if they were
investigating the mystery with the characters. It is also clear that the authors limit the
exploration of the character who becomes the key witness, so the readers can feel the
curiosity and the tension while exploring the mystery. Therefore, it is clear that even
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though each of the authors uses different narrative techniques, both have skillfully
delivered the mystery. The mysteries become interesting because both authors have
used the appropriate narrative techniques which enable them to reach their purposes.
The narrative technique used in each novel gives the readers enjoyment in
reading them. However, I personally find more enjoyment in reading The Curious
Incident of the Dog in the Night-time because of the style used by the author. The
journal form adds more tension and curiosity to the mystery because it is delivered by
the character who makes the investigation. I also find the pictures very enjoyable and
they help me to understand what is in the narrator’s mind despite his inability to
explain his feelings. In turn, I also gain more knowledge about Asperger Syndrome
suffered by the narrator because of the point of view used.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary texts:
Haddon, Mark. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. New York:
Vintage Books, 2003. Print.
McGovern, Cammie. Eye Contact. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.
References:
“Asperger’s Syndrome”. WebMD, 2011. Web. 30 Sept 2011.
Craig, Amanda. “Mark Haddon”, 2004. Web. 6 Apr 2011.
Eastman, Richard. A Guide to the Novel. California: Chandler Publishing Company,
1965. Print.
“Eye Contact”. Cammie McGovern, 2010. Web. 2 Apr 2011.
“Facts About ASDs”. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010. Web. 2 Apr
2011.
Holcombe, Garan. “Mark Haddon”. Contemporary Writers, 2004. Web. 18 Mar
2011.
“Inside a Curious Mind”. The Sunday Times, 2006. Web. 18 Mar 2011.
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Mahoney, Kevin. “So you'd like to... find out more about Cammie McGovern”.
Amazon. 2011. Web. 2 Apr 2011.
McQuay, Angela. “Eye Contact Review”. Curled Up, 2006. Web. 2 Apr 2011.
“Meet Cammie”, n.d. Web. 18 Mar 2011.
Weich, David. Powells. “The Curiously Irresistible Literary Debut of Mark Haddon”,
2003. Web. 2 Apr 2011.
Wiehardt, Ginny. “Mystery Novel”. About.com, 2011. Web. 5 Apr 2011.
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