Frustration with Christopher
Many of the characters in the novel become irritated with Christopher at
one time or another because of the difficulty they have communicating with him.
Christopher has trouble understanding metaphors, such as the dog was
stone dead. He also has difficulty with nonverbal forms of
communication, such as body language, facial expressions, and even the tone of
someone’s voice. He tends to take statements literally and requires very
specific instructions in order to follow a command. He says, for example, that
when people say “Be quiet” they don’t specify how long he should be quiet for.
As a result, we often see characters struggling to make Christopher understand
them since their ordinary way of speaking fails to communicate their meaning to
him. These exchanges underscore how Christopher’s condition affects his social
skills, and they emphasize for the reader the difference in perspective that
Christopher experiences compared to the average person.
Science and Technology
Christopher’s frequent asides about science and technology, such as his
fantasies of astronauts and space shuttles and musings about alien life forms
and the workings of the human mind, recur throughout the book. Christopher feels
most comfortable with subjects that he views as logical, such as physics and
math. As a result, he thinks about these topics continually. But Christopher
also displays a fascination with subjects that appear to him vastly greater in
scope than human life, such as the relationship between time and space or the
nature of stars, which he breathlessly describes as “the very molecules of
life.” These subjects appear to allow Christopher to put his own life in
perspective, helping him to cope with the difficulties he encounters on a daily
basis.
Animals
Christopher often finds solace in interacting with animals and displays
great consternation when he sees them harmed. He engages with animals so readily
because he finds them easier to understand than people. An animal expresses its
wants and needs plainly. Dogs, for example, growl when they feel threatened and
wag their tails when they feel happy. Christopher can understand these simple
visual cues. He even praises the nature of dogs early in the novel, saying
they’re faithful and honest and more interesting than some people. Consequently,
animals often serve as a foundation for trust between Christopher and other
human beings. Christopher speaks with Mrs. Alexander in part because she cares
well for her dachshund, Ivor. Later, after Father hits Christopher when he finds
Christopher’s detailed record of his investigation, he takes Christopher to the
Twycross Zoo to apologize, because he understands that Christopher will find the
environment comforting. Animals also provide Christopher with the companionship
he doesn’t find in other people, particularly Toby, Christopher’s pet rat, which
serves as Christopher’s constant travel companion. When Toby dies, Father buys
Christopher a puppy, hoping to rebuild his trust with Christopher and to provide
Christopher with a new companion.
