" Mr. Jeavons said I liked maths because it was safe. He said I liked maths because it meant solving problems, and those problems were difficult and interesting but there was always a straightforward answer at the end. And what he meant was that maths wasn’t life because in life there are no straightforward answers at the end. "
"I picked this quote because I think it really describes Christopher. Though it never states it directly in the book, Christopher displays many characteristics of someone with autism. He hates small talk because he finds it pointless, does not understand facial expression, and does not get similes or metaphors (15). One thing he does understand is math. With math he does not need to try and understand people. In the quote above, it is said that the reason he loves math so much is because, unlike people, it is not abstract or unclear. He finds a safe place. Dealing with people is confusing and uncomfortable for him. At the beginning of the book, he gets so overwhelmed by the police officer that he winds up punching him (7). But with math, all he needs to do is be by himself and solve a straight forward problem. When Christopher finds himself in stressful situations he goes off into tangents that revolve around math and science, which comfort him. After he gets arrested he discusses what the Milky Way is and how the stars are aligned in it; instead of thinking about the uncomfortable situation he is in, he uses math and science to distract himself. Anything that is predictable or can be like a puzzle, like physics and astronomy, is good and easy for him. Anything outside of that range makes him feel unsafe and insecure. That is why Christopher decides to turn the death of Wellington into a murder mystery. He would rather look at it as a puzzle than an emotion situation. "
Or......numbers and maths are cool and neat and stuff but the big problem with such thingees is when it really gets down to brass tacks or speaker cables because 9x5 may very well equal 42.
