The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, a Canonical Representation with an Entry to In-Depth Learning in the Norwegian Classroom

Abstract

This thesis, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, a Canonical Representation with an Entry to In-Depth Learning in the Norwegian Classroom, defines a bridge between Western Canonical literature and in-depth learning by using the novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (2003) by Mark Haddon. The novel is a popular choice already in Norwegian classrooms, and the thesis explains its canonical value and its correspondence with the new Norwegian curriculum of 2020. Harold Bloom stipulates an amalgam of originality, knowledge, figurative language, cognitive power, and exuberance of diction for canonical literature in his study The Western Canon: The Books and School of the Ages. All these traits can be found in Haddon's novel, and they correspond well with the in-depth learning definition in Norway as of 2021. In-depth learning is not a new phenomenon in Norwegian schools, however, increased focus on achieving in-depth learning in Kunnskapsløftet 2020 requires a complete understanding of the term, which this thesis provides. The findings of the thesis demonstrate that Western Canonical literature and in-depth learning constitute two complementary pedagogical terms that can aid future teachers of English in Norway in choosing the best possible novels to teach in school, and at the same time reignite the original definition of The Western Canon "the choice of books in our teaching institutions" (Bloom, 1994, p. 15).