Like Christopher, you have practice "detecting"-making observations and inferences about the clues the novel presents. You have also been gathering evidence through your annotations, notes, quick-writes, and chapter summaries. Just as Christopher develops a chain of reasoning in an attempt to solve the mystery of who killed Wellington, you are also applying your critical reasoning skills as you draw conclusions about the messages or themes the novel explores. This Structured Discussion invites you to think critically about the patterns of meaning that develop over the course of the novel, particularly as they relate to Christopher's (and perhaps Mark Haddon's) comments or insights about human nature. Begin this activity by taking a few minutes to review your summaries for Chapter 29, Chapter 37, Chapter 83, Chapter 101, Chapter 113, Chapter 131, Chapter 139, Chapter 151, Chapter 181, and Chapter 199. What connections can you make across these summaries? Now use the protocol for a structured discussion (see Activity 19) to respond to the questions that follow. Discussion Questions