Nearly everyone has been hurt by the words or actions of others. These wounds can leave someone with lasting feelings of anger, bitterness, and vengeance. However, if one does not forgive, they can that is hurt the most. In The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, the main character, Christopher Boone, shows the power of forgiveness. Even though his mother, Judy Boone, left him he still forgives her. Judy Boone’s actions were justified, she did not deem herself fit to be a mother at that time. Through the letters she shows remorse, she cares for Christopher and looks out for him, she also shows growth and maturity.
Judy has changed and is better suited to be the mother figure Christopher never had before. Although Judy Boone left Christopher, she shows that she is remorseful and seeking Christopher’s forgiveness. Mrs. Boone is a flawed human being. Any fault should be forgiven, however, unforgivable it may seem at first. Christopher sets out to retrieve his book. He eventually discovers the book in a box in his father’s bedroom closet. Later, Christopher reads the first letter, alone in his room. At the end of the letter, Mrs. Boone writes, “I’m sorry Christopher. But I still love you.
I hope you don’t stay angry with me forever. And I’d love it if you were able to write me a letter [… ] I think about you all the time” (Haddon 98). Mrs. Boone still loves Christopher and thinks about him all the time. After she left him, Judy does not completely forget about him and is seeking his forgiveness. Her previous decisions are not intended to hurt him. She does not want him to be angry with her, but wants him to write to her. She shows the patience that she did not have before. In addition, she feels bad for hurting Christopher and shows how apologetic she is.
Therefore, she has changed and notices the error of her ways, she can be the mother Christopher needs. Judy’s decision to leave was not motivated by selfish reasons. She has the best intentions for Christopher. A mother always wants what is best for her child. In one of the letters, Judy explains the reason she leaves Christopher. She explains that he threw a cutting board, which broke her toes. Afterward, Mr. Boone blames her for losing her temper. While she recovered she saw how much more calmly Christopher acted around him than with her.
She made the decision that Christopher would be better off without her in the house. She writes, “Christopher, I never meant to hurt you. I thought that what I was doing was for the best for all of us” (Haddon 109). Judy did not leave Christopher for selfish reasons. She thinks that leaving him is the best thing to do. However, leaving was not an easy task for Judy because she loves Christopher but doubts her abilities to take care of him. She felt unable to deal with Christopher’s fits and tantrums. Autism Bedfordshire says, “As they grow up, the children become too strong to handle if they throw a tantrum.
Parents become isolated and depressed and many would reach breaking point without help. ” Judy loses her temper nearly every time there is a problem. Before leaving it is clear that she is overwhelmed by the situation. Caring for children is difficult, but taking care of children with autism creates more challenges for a parent. Judy has tried to be a better mother, but she realizes the uselessness of her efforts. In the case of Christopher she feels hopeless. If she did not leave, her ability to be a good mother would be compromised. She gets frustrated easily, in addition she has depression.
Without the proper help Mrs. Boone would reach a point where she would not be able to help Christopher or even herself. It would be the best option if she left Christopher, he would not have to grow up in such a negative environment. Mrs. Boone doubts her motherly qualities and it justifies her opinion that abandoning Christopher would improve the lifestyle of the whole family, although she never meant to hurt anyone. Through the actions of Mrs. Boone, it becomes evident that she has changed. Change is a choice. Throughout one’s life countless changes will occur; however the most common desire is a better life.
Judy shows growth and maturity, in addition she can have a new beginning with her son. Christopher finishes the second half of his exam the following day. His dad comes to the house and asks Christopher how the exam went. The following week Mr. Boone asks Judy to move out. Then Christopher says, “But then everything was OK because Mother got a job on the till in a garden center and the doctor gave her pills to take every morning to stop her from feeling sad [… ]. So we moved into a room in a big house that was made of red bricks” (Haddon 216).
Although Christopher’s mother is only known through past stories and letters, observing her actions in the present show significant change as well. Her decision to get a job and buy an apartment to live with Christopher shows a large amount of growth from the time she left for another man and simpler life. Judy is making an effort to change and is ready to take on the challenge. More importantly, Judy did not do everything for herself, she did it for Christopher. Instead of being impatient and bad tempered or being depressed at times, she changes and becomes a more stable parent that Christopher can lean to for reassurance and protection.
Throughout the novel, Judy Boone has proved herself worthy of forgiveness. Mrs. Boone is repentant of her poor decisions, she wants what is best for Christopher and she shows significant change. Despite all the difficulties she faces she attempts to be a better mother. Judy left Christopher, but this does not mean she is not worthy of forgiveness. At one point, everyone has broken the trust of a loved one, but a healthy relationship leads to forgiveness. The same occurred between Christopher and Judy Boone. Everyone deserves a second chance because we are all human and we make mistakes.
