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The Maths A level is an exam that British students take as a step towards qualifying for university study. Throughout the book, the A level represents Christopher’s dreams for his future. He wants to go to university and become a scientist, and the A level is the first step for him out of his school and out of Swindon. Because he’s the first student from his special needs school to ever take an A level, the test proves to him and the world that he doesn’t have to lower his expectations for himself just because he’s autistic. He can use his different way of seeing the world to succeed. Some of Christopher’s lowest points occur when he is living with his mother in London and in Swindon and he thinks he might not be able to take the A level. In these moments, he sees the entire life he’s imagined collapsing around himself. Not only has it ended up that his mother is alive, but if he can’t take the test, his imagined future falls to shreds. Once Christopher gets a top grade on the exam, though, he feels confident about his ability to become a scientist, and he has passed another hurdle on his way to becoming an adult.
Maths A Level Quotes in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
The The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time quotes below all refer to the symbol of Maths A Level. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 233
Quotes
And then, when I’ve done that, I am going to go to university in another town... And I can live in a flat with a garden and a proper toilet. And I can take Sandy and my books and my computer.
And then I will get a First Class Honors degree and I will become a scientist.
And I know I can do this because I went to London on my own, and because I solved the mystery of Who Killed Wellington? and I found my mother and I was brave and I wrote a book and that means I can do anything.
Related Characters:
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Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Curious Incident LitChart as a printable PDF.
Maths A Level Symbol Timeline in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
The timeline below shows where the symbol Maths A Level appears in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 71
Christopher is going to prove his intelligence by getting a top grade on the Maths A level exam, a university qualifying exam. His father had to argue with the principal, Mrs. Gascoyne,...
(full context)
Chapter 97
...alone. He tells her about what he likes, and that he’s going to take the Maths A level . Mrs. Alexander is impressed.
(full context)
Chapter 233
...comes home, Christopher tells her that he has to return to Swindon to take his Maths A level . Judy is impressed he’s going to take the test, but she isn’t sure whether...
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...Judy gets fired from her job. Christopher reminds her that he has to take his A level , but Judy is trying to deal with both Ed and Roger’s anger, and tells...
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...Heath, a park. She tells him that she’s called the school principal to cancel the A level . Christopher screams until a man comes to make sure everything is all right.
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...and puts him back inside. Then he asks Judy if he can still do his Maths A level , but she says that it’s already been cancelled. Christopher is so upset that he...
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...it up and take it away. Christopher finds out he got an A on his Maths A level , and he’s very happy. He names the dog Sandy and takes him for walks....
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Christopher buys a book to study for the next A level test in math, and he plans to take A level Physics after that. Then he’ll...
(full context)
