Narrative Voices in Mark Haddon and Lloyd Jones Novels

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The disparity in content between English and Mathematics is emblematic of Christopher and Matilda's differing perspectives of the world, allowing readers to appreciate the diversity among narrators. Despite their flaws, both child narrators deserve recognition for their accomplishments. They both possess an air of unpredictability due to their youth, which raises questions about the accuracy of their accounts of events. According to David Deeming's article 'the naive narrator and the worldly narrator,' the utilization of the first person viewpoint is crucial in making Curious Incident of The Dog an exceptionally unique and linguistically fresh work. Numerous critics share this perspective. Through Christopher's use of simple language, his lack of emotion becomes quite evident.

The author's use of repetitive simplistic adjectives, like 'warm' and 'small', emphasizes Christopher's inability to adapt to life's subjective nature. Christopher finds comfort only in matters of absolute certainty, such as the existence of 'the garden fork sticking out of the dead dog.' Like Christopher, Matilda is also a child narrator, but possesses the social and figurative skills that he lacks. Through the use of protagonist Christopher's narrative voice, Mark Haddon maintains a literary tradition in 'Curious Incident of The Dog.' The novel echoes Mark Twain's 'Huckleberry Finn' by utilizing confusion and misinterpretation surrounding the narrator.

Both Christopher and Matilda embark on a journey, but with contrasting results in the way they describe their experiences. Christopher often struggles to comprehend his surroundings, while Matilda exudes self-assurance. Haddon's use of Christopher's narrative voice effectively creates a sense of uncharted territory within the world and encourages readers to empathize with the teen's unique perspective. Meanwhile, in Jones's 'Mister Pip', Matilda's narrative voice presents an

environment that many readers may struggle to identify with, as their experiences in similar situations have likely been limited.

In Bougainville, a war-torn region in chaos, Matilda's depictions of events are often distressing, including the presence of the disturbing 'redskin'. A clear contrast arises between the two narrators. Christopher in 'Curious Incident of the Dog' suffers from confusion and seeks guidance, while Matilda in 'Mister Pip' successfully enlightens the reader on the unknown. Contrasting the narrative voices maximizes the impact of child narrators. Despite their tender ages, utilizing this narrative tool allows readers to delve into the youngsters' thoughts and emotions.

The children's narrative voice is highly effective in providing insight into the obstacles hindering their success. According to feminist Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, Matilda's gender may have contributed to her plight, but dismissing her achievements would be unfair. Despite a disadvantaged upbringing, Matilda educated herself well. Both narrators serve as the moral conscience in their novels.

According to the Daily Mail's Jonathan Beckman, Mister Pip is described as having a "morally subtle" portrayal. The use of both narrators is highly effective in depicting the youth as truthful. Matilda is a character who struggles to accept her mother's decision to steal Mr. Watts' cherished novel, Great Expectations, and her mother's sacrifice of her own life for her daughter. Matilda acknowledges what is right but feels compelled to stand by her mother, stating "To do so would be to betray my mum." The conflict that Matilda faces is evident.

Christopher, the protagonist of "Curious Incident of The Dog," effectively expresses the conflicts he faces through his narrative voice. While Matilda feels loyalty towards her mother, Christopher's commitment to the truth

prevents him from doing so. This bias also affects his perception of events, hindering his ability to understand his father's motives for violence. Additionally, Christopher's childlike drawings of facial expressions reveal his role as narrator and his reliance on visual aids due to his inability to use figurative language. These images highlight his need for absolute truth.

The reader understands that Christopher's shortcomings result from his lack of emotional understanding. This trait allows the reader to identify with Christopher's perspective. On the other hand, Matilda fulfills a distinct role as the narrator in 'Mister Pip'. Her narrative voice challenges adult assumptions about young people. Despite their differences, the two narrators share a commonality in their reluctance to learn more.

The quote "Rather, I wanted to believe" from Matilda is reminiscent of something Christopher might say. The narrative voice effectively showcases how both children rely on their imagination for escape, blurring the differences between them. Additionally, their success is attributed to the decision to employ past tense language, including the usual phrases like 'was,' 'then,' and 'said.'

In both novels, the use of past tense is highly effective. In The Curious Incident of the Dog, it reassures the reader about Christopher's well-being despite his upheaval. In Mister Pip, the importance of past tense is even greater due to the significant conflict in Bougainville. This greatly impacts Matilda, the narrator, as she witnessed events unfold and overcame obstacles to tell the story. The first-person perspective in both novels enhances the relationship between narrator and reader by bolstering confidence in Christopher's mental stability and Matilda's ability to narrate despite her struggles.

The crucial role of first-person narration can be seen

in the success of both Matilda and Christopher as it offers a sense of closure for the reader and the narrator. Despite facing unique challenges, both characters were able to overcome them. The narrator effectively portrays key events, such as the deaths of Wellington and Matilda's mother, and provides insight into the emotions experienced by both protagonists.

Both narrators in 'Mister Pip' effectively express their relationships with those around them through the unique use of a first-person perspective. Matilda's narrative voice possesses the ability to maintain a certain detachment from the events in Bougainville, which is heightened by the tone used. The voice is more identifiable with the university student version of Matilda rather than the teenage one, making Matilda's narration of events more effective. The lack of embellishment by Matilda in her retelling of events is also a vital factor in the success of her role as narrator as she never attempts to 'stretch the truth'.

Despite the island being scarce due to the blockade by the estranged government, Matilda does not dwell on this and seems to have accepted it, as suggested by Sameer Rahim of the Telegraph. Although Matilda is significant in 'Mister Pip', there are concerns that the book portrays stereotypes with Matilda's mother being depicted as a superstitious black woman and Mr Pip as an eccentric white man. Matilda's narrative voice suggests that she may have more complexity than her mother, but still has her limitations.

Conclusively, the relevance of Jack Nicholson's quote from 'The Departed': "I don't want to be a product of my environment, I want my environment to be a product of me," is apparent in this essay. The story's

voice portrays a determined young woman who refuses to succumb to the despair and hopelessness surrounding her. Instead, she makes the decisive choice to immigrate to the UK and continue her studies. In Christopher's case, the narrative voice of an individual with Asperger's syndrome clearly illustrates his desire for stability and his satisfaction with being a product of his environment.

Overall, the significant contrasts between Matilda and Christopher are evident in their respective narrative voices. Matilda refuses to accept a life of poverty and mediocrity, while Christopher seeks comfort in stability and universal truths.