Haddon's Use of Language (Prompt 11, Chapter 227)

In Chapter 227, Christopher is between the train and his mother's house. He needs to get on the subway in order to complete his journey, but he has great difficulty in doing so. He spends five and a half hours next to the subway, refusing to get on, rocking himself back and forth, suffering in pain from the loud sounds and trying not to get too close to anyone else. This was an exceptionally frustrating chapter for me as a reader because I wanted to shout at him to just get on the subway to end his misery. Despite my aggravation, I found Mark Haddon's writing style to be remarkably effective. He so acutely described Christopher's surroundings and pain that I could picture him sitting, suffering, on the subway platform. I desperately wanted to be on that platform guiding Christopher onto the subway, even though I knew he would never take the advice or help from a stranger. The entire chapter reaffirmed Christopher's difficult task in trying to lead a relatively normal life. Haddon's noteworthy style evoked serious emotions in me, which I view as the mark of extraordinary writing.