Curious Incident

In “The Ways We Lie,” Stephanie Ericsson challenges the assumption that, in some cases, the truth will cause more harm than a lie. She condemns white lies as an act of arrogance: “[…] in effect, it is the liar deciding what is best for the lied to. Ultimately, it is a vote of no confidence. It is an act of subtle arrogance for anyone to decide what is best for someone else” (181). Write an argumentative essay in which you evaluate whether or not Christopher’s father was justified in lying to his son in Mark Haddon’s novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Consider Ericsson’s criticism of white lies, and establish your own ethical criteria for making this judgment. For instance, do you believe the end justifies the means? Or do you think there are absolute ethical principles we must follow regardless of the outcome? In other words, are some things always right or always wrong? Include an analysis of Christopher’s father’s reason for lying about Christopher’s mother. Support your position with evidence from the novel, the other reading in this module, and your personal observations and experiences as relevant. (question of quality)

To choose the conversation you would like to join, you might start by looking back at your summaries of Chapter 29, Chapter 37, Chapter 83, Chapter 101, Chapter 113, Chapter 131, Chapter 139, Chapter 151, Chapter 181, and Chapter 199. Are there any observations Christopher makes about human nature or his personal experience that you’d like to respond to? You might also look for ideas in your quick-writes and notes or sketch notes. What aspects of the novel and class discussions did you find most interesting? Base your selection of one of the six options on your interests and the materials you’ve gathered.