The Curious Incident of the Book I Read This Summer

It seems popular, if not necessary, in modern society for authors, companies, artists, public speakers, schools, doctors, and even actors to be politically correct and remind everyone of it. This has resulted in a (since the early 90s) flurry of "handicapable" characters to be added to cartoons, dolls, movies, and almost any form of media. These characters are often, for lack of a better word, lame. They are presented with so much of a "my weaknesses are really strengths!" that while presenting different individuals as equals; a noble intention, viewers are brainwashed of the fact that they are different; an important part of being an individual. Equality through sameness is not equality. While society feigns tolerance and acceptance, often they miss the intention of their "PC" attitude: Understanding; more importantly, understanding of a different way of life. Yes, it is certain that many "handicapped" people have trouble existing in society, often because of the title given to them. This is most definitely the case for Christopher, but in a different move, his handicap is shown in a realistic light by the reactions of other people, but his strengths and thoughts and motivations are also seen realistically, not as a genius trapped but as a boy living his life the way he has to.
The book's biggest strength is not its plot but its characters. However, the minor characters such as the policemen or Christopher's neighbors offer the most insight in the story, as they are onlookers to a boy's frankly strange actions (by societal standards) and make obvious their emotions, but Christopher is oblivious, even though he will bluntly state the clues that they are perplexed by his behavior. These reactions, while sometimes slight, offer a huge insight into Christopher's mind. Christopher can spit out Greek letters and math equations without any trouble, but even facial expressions; a trait most people learn to read at an early age, baffle him. Stranger yet, his bizarre rituals and habits such as counting cars and disavowing completely foods that touch indicate that on some level, he doesn't even understand himself.
The book's message, most likely intended but not stated, is that Christopher is not handicapped in a traditional sense of being a normal person physically disabled or trapped at a younger/simpler capacity. He has a capacity in some ways much higher than "regular" people, but still is almost unable to function in society. Which raises the most important question, is Christopher handicapped? In ways yes, in ways no. As a member of society, a well cemented claim could be made for yes, because he does not function on a similar or sometimes compatible level with other people, which does not necessarily make him handicapped in being but may make him handicapped in practice. As an individual, he is not necessarily handicapped at all, because he has his own way of functioning in a society, but unfortunately that society does not exist. These questions, which rise out of the fairly simple plot, are the most important part of the book, because the story becomes less and less about the dog or even Father's marital problems and more about Christopher's perceived ignorance to the world. He sees society and the real world as a very black and white matter, when in fact relations with people are very rarely so clean cut. This brings me back to my original point, Christopher is a real person and not a feel-good story with unreal characters. This does not make him tragic either, he is as close to the definition of normal as a novel character can be, which lends more to his strength being that it is established quickly that he is "handicapped." When, by the end of the story with the stark difference in personality and approach Christopher has from his father and other people, one may question exactly who was better off.