Realistic Infinitism in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Anonymous 12th Grade

When discussing The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Haddon has made it clear that he sees it as a piece of realistic fiction that is actually realistic: no lucky encounters, no interventions from a deity, just humdrum life. However, some have leveled critiques that The Curious Incident doesn’t meet these ideals because it uses odd events like a dead dog and an impromptu sprint to London to move the plot forward. Parallels can be drawn between this and Occam’s Razor. Occam’s Razor essentially states that in most cases, the simplest solution should be considered first. In other words: extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof. Realistic fiction books rarely meet this standard. For example, The Great Gatsby relies on a reclusive millionare so in love with a lady that he situates his house. Technically, that could happen but, in reality, that would almost never happen. And, in any case, The Great Gatsby never covers the day to day events of Nick’s life. Despite what the critics say, Christopher's reaction to climatic events of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is not escapist and aligns with Haddon’s philosophy because his reaction is proportional to the events and realistic.

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