메타내러티브로서 『한밤중에 개에게 일어난 의문의 사건』의 서사구조 분석

Abstract

This paper analyzes Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time in relation to its meta-narrative qualities. This entails analyzing how the fusion of mystery elements and the autistic perspective enriches the novel’s thematic depth and narrative complexity, and how the narrative features inherent in Christopher’s perspective shape the novel’s structure and contribute to a proper understanding of the complex and varied autistic features. The paper demonstrates that Haddon’s method presents the overall narrative of the story as thoroughly factual, while at the same time metaphorizing the character of Christopher. In doing so, the paper emphasizes that Haddon’s portrayal of Christopher’s maturation is a meta-narrative in the way that a mystery or detective narrative is constructed and that Christopher, the narrator, is communicating with the reader by making himself the object of the narrative. In conclusion, the paper shows that Christopher’s search for the killer of his dog is a process that reveals the different layers of social disorder represented by his parents and neighbors. It will also argue that his role as a detective in this process can be seen as a narrative vehicle for revealing familial and social conflicts, as well as a signifier of the effects of these conflicts.