RATIONALE:

In this written assignment, I have chosen “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time”,
written by Mark Haddon; because it is the book I enjoyed the most and the one I know more
about.

My plan is to create a letter, written by Christopher and addressed to his father; in order to tell
him how he felt about all the things that happened until the end of the story (Christopher started
living in London with her mom and stopped talking with his father due to the lies he told him and
the things he did).

I decided to use this text type because I really would like to resemble the way Christopher
expresses himself, and show how he thinks, in an explicit way. I am also planning to use an
informal register; and mainly, I am taking into account that he suffers from Asperger Syndrome.

My main purpose is to focus on the importance of family ties, as the relationship of Christopher
and his dad. That is the reason why I would like to demonstrate that Christopher doesn’t hate his
father and that he is just angry with him. So, through this letter he will explain his father how
painful it was to discover what he has done and to accept it; notwithstanding, he will forgive him,
because he continues loving him.

NUMBER OF WORDS: 225

“451c Chapter Road

Wittesden

London NW2 5NG

0208 887 8907” (Haddon: 2003, p.79)

Dear father:

It’s about 5:30 pm and mother is taking a shower while I am sitting at the table in the living room,
and I stopped my “Blue Planet videos about animal life in the deepest parts of the Arctic ocean”
(Haddon: 2003, p.62), to start writing you this letter. I also made myself a strawberry punch and
heated it up in the bakery oven, to drink it while doing it.

Well, given that I have refused to talk with you, and that we don’t live together anymore; we
haven’t established any contact in twenty-eight days, taking into account this one, since you
haven’t received this letter yet.

First of all, I want to tell you how I feel about everything what you have done, I really don’t know
how to describe it perfectly; but I can say I am angry and really sad, at the same time. Weighing up
what Siobhan taught me, I think that I feel… something like this:

You know that I never lie, so, if I say that it has been really painful for me, it’s because it really has
been like that. But also; since my memory is like a tape recorder, which can rewind in the past and
remember any event or conversation; I still remember all the good things you've done for me.
Starting from the fact that you have always been patient and understanding with me, even though
I am “special”. Thus, I remember clearly many moments with you, as when we went to the zoo
together and I chose the animals I liked the most, also when you were the only one who
completely believed in me when I said that I wanted to take the A-level math test, or when you
went to the police station and protected me.

So, what I am trying to say, is that even though what you have done to me, I don’t hate you,
because you are my father, I just feel bad and I don’t want our relationship to continue like that.
Due to it, I have taken everything into consideration and I have chosen to forgive you so I won’t
avoid or ignore you, anymore.

Moreover, mother told me that you have asked her for permission to come to our place in two
weeks and stay for a few days, thus I agree with it. I think it is a good opportunity for us to talk
face to face, because I also would like you to explain me fully: Why did you kill Wellington with a
garden fork? Didn’t you feel guilty? And, why did you hide from me the fact that my mom was
alive, for two years? Why did you lie to me and tell me that she had a heart attack?

I hope that things get better between us and I want you to hold up your right hand and spread
your fingers out in a fan, so that I can hold up my left hand and also spread my fingers out in a fan;
making our fingers and thumbs touch each other.

Sandy, mother, and I will be waiting for you to come.

NUMBER OF WORDS: 539