Nate Corbran
Professor J. Herron
English 101
20 October, 2012
T.F.L.
After closely analyzing the short story of A Dark Brown Dog, the theme identified is that with certain people it is possible to have more trust, faith, and love in a friend than one may have within their own family. The boys family seems to be in a constant battle with the boy all throughout the story. This occurs during the time of the boys fathers drunkenness and bickering between the family about needless matters. It is seen that he does not come from a very good family. “Every time the family is portrayed, it is in a dark or dirty way.”(Stockton Article) Take into consideration the thought of the dog being the most normal thing the boy had in his life. The boy
The boy now had something he could control, whereas the way his parents acted was beyond his control. The boys slightly violent power ended shortly after the dog started living in the house with the boy and his family. That is when the boy and the dog began to build their close friendship.
The religious theme in A Dark Brown Dog helps make sense of the trust, faith, and love theme displayed. The dog remains completely sinless throughout the entire short story. When he is hit, he backs down and prays or lays on his back and puts his paws together as if praying. The dog treats the boy how he wants to be treated. Matthew 7:12, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Most observers may say that it was the boy that triggered the start of the relationship between the boy and the dog but that is not true. The dog has the stronger heart and soul. The boy could care less about a dog but the dog had a drive to be with the boy. That is why the dog continued to keep coming back to him after numerous pushes, beatings, and kicks. After a short time, the boy and dogs relationship was stone solid and there was nothing that could break it.
In conclusion, it is clearly obvious that the relationship between the boy and dog was much more concrete than the relationship between the boy and his family. The boys family was low class and had no desire for a strong love with their son. However, the dog had a strong urge to