Murder Mystery Lesson 4: Build Character using Voice + Conflict

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 3

Today

• Read the first 10 pages from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.
• Learn how to create a compelling character using voice and conflict.

The title of the book

The title, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, is taken from a Sherlock Holmes story called ‘Silver Blaze’. In this story a valuable race-horse has been stolen from its stable. The police suspect either a band of gypsies who were camping nearby, or a stranger who visited the stable the day before. Sherlock Holmes disagrees with the police inspector who asks:

   

                                ‘Is there any other point to which you would draw my attention?’

                               ‘To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.’

                               ‘The dog did nothing in the night-time.’

                                ‘That was the curious incident,’ remarked Sherlock Holmes.

•   Can you work out why this might be an important clue in the story?  It is typical of Sherlock Holmes that he is the only person who realises the significance of this fact. This is because, like Christopher, he is very observant, and very logical.
• Why do you think Mark Haddon might have chosen this title for the novel?
• Do you think it is a good title? Give some arguments for and against.

Questions

1. What do you think of Christopher as a character? 
2. What symptoms of Christopher's condition can the reader perceive?
3. What effect does this condition have on Christopher?
4. What coping mechanisms does Christopher show?
5. Christopher is writing a murder mystery. Can you see similarities between him and Sherlock Holmes?

Use a quote from the text to support your answers.

The Unreliable Narrator

• Authors sometimes use an unreliable narrator to tell the story;a protagonist who can't be trusted to tell the events accurately.
• This type of narrator might be insane, evil, delusional, forgetful, or just plain wrong...
• The writer uses this technique to 'hook' the reader.
• Mostly written from a first-person point of view.
• Examples are Gone Girl, Fight Club, The Girl on the Train,
  Life of Pi, Atonement, The Curious Incident of the Dog
   in the Night-time. 

Voice

A character’s voice is how they express themselves.

In an interview, Mark Haddon said:  "What I started with was the image of a dog with a gardening fork in it. Then I got Christopher’s toneless voice."

Christopher’s exact condition is never explicitly stated by any character in the novel, but he shares many traits associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).  

1. Find two examples in which this is expressed in Christopher's voice. Explain your choice.

Internal conflict & external conflict 

Internal = struggle with yourself 

Example: Buzz Lightyear doesn't realize that he is a toy; he truly believes he is a space ranger.

External = struggle with things outside of yourself

External can be a lot of things: other people, society, nature, etc.

Example:  Woody and Buzz competing to be the favourite toy.

Building a character

Character name: ...

Who and where:  ...

Internal conflict: ...

External conflict: ...

Voice: ...

• Now create your own character using the cheat sheet above.
• List for adjectives for describing people and personal qualities.

Freytag's Pyramid

Exposition

> the start of the story

> the protagonist is introduced

> the (main/first) setting is described

> something happens

Rising Action

> events unfold

> things happen

> more problems

> more exciting

Climax

> most exciting

> problems at max

> can't stop reading/ playing/watching

Falling Action

> main problem is solved

> other (minor) problems are resolved

> questions are answered

Resolution

The they-lived-happily-

ever-after-stage