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Relationship Between Narrator And Dog In Jeanette Winterson's The 24-Hour Dog

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In Jeanette Winterson’s, “The 24-Hour Dog”, the relationship between narrator and dog is a loyal one where as in Ken Barris’, “The Life of Worm”, the relationship between narrator and dog is quite strained. This essay will aim to discuss these stories in relation to one another, how they differ and relate to one another. Lillian Feder writes about madness in, “Madness in Literature”, this will be used to highlight the mental states of both narrators. The relationship each narrator shares with his dog is unique, in Harold Herzog’s, “The Impact of Pets on Human Health and Psychological Well-being: Fact, Fiction, or Hypothesis”, he discusses how pets can actually affect your mental health. In Adam Dashner’s, “Examples of Symbolism”, the significance …show more content…

The narrator, in his paranoia over security, got Worm as another line of defence in his security set-up, for Worm ‘patrols [the] inside [of] the house” (Barris 15) as a last resort. The average relationship between human and animal is one of loyalty and love (Herzog 235), however in “The Life of Worm” the narrator is quite stern towards his dog, he tells him to “shut up” (Barris 16) and imagines Worm “stripped of fur and skin” (9). The narrator is very paranoid about security, so he avoids people in general, for they might be a threat towards him. When Worm kills a “cocker spaniel in his prime” (18), the narrator feels “satisfaction” (19), for Worm eliminated a possible threat. In that moment the relationship shared by narrator and dog is one of trust and loyalty (Herzog 237). Therefore even though the human-dog relationship they share is strained, it keeps them together, for the narrator seeks security and Worm provides exactly that to …show more content…

Any action, person, place or object can have a symbolic meaning (1). Symbolism is often used by writers to enrich their writing, making it more colourful and it gives the work a deeper meaning (1). Symbolism is used in literature and certain colours, objects and animals have specific connotations (2). Black is generally used to represent death or something evil, where a chain symbolizes the coming together of two things (2). Just like this a dog is a symbol of a loyal, trusting relationship (2). The symbol of a loyal dog is heavily laced into both narratives. Symbolism is used to bring across a deeper meaning to the narrative, by using actions of characters, events or words in the context of the entire narrative (1). In “The 24-Hour Dog” and within “The Life of Worm”, symbolism is used, each dog represents something different to their respective

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