Spirituality and Darwinian Survival

There are intermittent discussions of God and atheism throughout Curious Incident, and in Chapter 199 Christopher offers a discourse on the fundamentals of Darwinian evolution. There is no obvious connection to the plot, although the discourse occurs at a time when Christopher is having to adapt to the incredibly confusing environments he encounters on his way to London. First, he walks to school, which is a new experience but not too hard because he knows the way. Then, he has to ask directions to the train station. When he becomes lost, he draws upon his knowledge of grids, maps and the computer game Minesweeper to set up a successful search grid. Then, he must learn how to use the cash machine and buy his ticket. Every step along the way to London, he has to adapt to a new environment, and with each success his self-confidence...