Toby as Companion

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Toby provides Christopher with a dependable bond that is tested by escape, danger, and the upheaval of leaving home.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

A Rat at Home A Rat at Home from "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time". A Familiar Companion Daily Care Christopher keeps Toby in his room and feeds him pellets, carrots, and other suitable food.

A Rat at Home from "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time". A Familiar Companion Daily Care Christopher keeps Toby in his room and feeds him pellets, carrots, and other suitable food.

A Familiar Companion Daily Care Christopher keeps Toby in his room and feeds him pellets, carrots, and other suitable food. Toby’s routines fit into Christopher’s ordered home life. Christopher appreciates that Toby is an animal whose needs can be met without complicated conversation. Affection Through Attention He notices Toby’s habits and protects him from food that could be harmful. Care for the rat gives Christopher a concrete responsibility amid difficult human relationships.

Taken from Home Taken from Home from "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time". Toby Joins the Escape Carrying a Companion Christopher carries Toby in his cage when he flees Father(Ed Boone).

Taken from Home from "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time". Toby Joins the Escape Carrying a Companion Christopher carries Toby in his cage when he flees Father(Ed Boone).

Toby Joins the Escape Carrying a Companion Christopher carries Toby in his cage when he flees Father(Ed Boone). The cage is heavy, but leaving Toby behind would mean abandoning someone dependent on him. He later transfers Toby to his coat pocket for the journey, trying to keep the rat warm and secure. A Practical Burden Toby complicates travel through crowded stations, but his presence also connects Christopher to the familiar world he has left.

Lost Among the Trains Lost Among the Trains from "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time". Toby Disappears Separation After Christopher has spent hours in a station, he realizes Toby is missing.

Lost Among the Trains from "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time". Toby Disappears Separation After Christopher has spent hours in a station, he realizes Toby is missing.

Toby Disappears Separation After Christopher has spent hours in a station, he realizes Toby is missing. He fears the rat may be injured, lost, or unable to find food. The crowded Underground makes a search dangerous, yet Christopher cannot simply abandon the animal. Descent to the Track He spots Toby in the track area and climbs down to retrieve him. A train approaches while Christopher is focused on catching the rat.

Pulled to Safety Pulled to Safety from "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time". Rescue at the Edge A Narrow Escape Christopher catches Toby as a train bears down on them. A nearby man grabs Christopher and pulls him onto the platform.

Pulled to Safety from "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time". Rescue at the Edge A Narrow Escape Christopher catches Toby as a train bears down on them. A nearby man grabs Christopher and pulls him onto the platform.

Rescue at the Edge A Narrow Escape Christopher catches Toby as a train bears down on them. A nearby man grabs Christopher and pulls him onto the platform. Toby bites Christopher’s thumb, but Christopher protects him and returns him to a pocket. Care Under Pressure The incident reveals how far Christopher will go to protect his companion. It also exposes how precarious their journey has become.

Loss and New Companionship Loss and New Companionship from "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time". Toby’s Life Ends A Final Loss Toby eventually dies at an old age for a rat.

Loss and New Companionship from "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time". Toby’s Life Ends A Final Loss Toby eventually dies at an old age for a rat.

Toby’s Life Ends A Final Loss Toby eventually dies at an old age for a rat. Christopher wants to bury him but, without a garden, places him in a large pot of earth. His grief is expressed through a practical effort to give Toby a proper resting place. Care Begins Again Mother says the room is too small for another rat. Later, Sandy’s arrival gives Christopher a new animal companion, though not a replacement for Toby.

Before Wellington’s death

The night Christopher leaves

During Christopher’s long wait in the Underground

Moments before a train enters the station

After Christopher’s A-level results