The Gift Of Language In Fifteen Dogs By Andre Alexis

It is hard to know if the possession of language is a gift or a curse to the human race. The novel Fifteen Dogs by André Alexis looks into the answer to this question. Fifteen Dogs is a story about a group of dogs that are given the ability of human language and thought. Two gods, Hermes and Apollo, have a bet to see whether the ability of language creates a better or worse world for the dogs. Initially, the dogs escape from the shelter and begin their new lives, but they soon realize how different a life with language will be. Throughout the novel, Alexis demonstrates that the use of language creates a sense of loneliness and isolation. This sense is shown through the complexity of language, the hierarchy it creates, and the creation of

While reading Dr. Bruce Perry’s The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog, I found the case of Peter to be the most interesting. At the age of three Peter was rescued from the inhumane conditions of a Russian “baby warehouse” in which one caretaker was responsible for the wellbeing of thirty wailing newborns (Perry and Szalavitz 218). This less than ideal solution for the issue of finding appropriate childcare left Peter and hundreds of other infants deprived of human interaction. During such a crucial period of brain development, this lack of attention had serious repercussions. Luckily, Peter was adopted by extremely devoted American parents who would help pave

I believe dogs and books are both significant, especially in times of our sorrow. We have dogs who are loving and compassionate, and books which are best described to be our “ultimate escape.” To begin with, the author of the article, Christie Blatchford brings to our attention that humans can not solve all of our problems. “They mean to say the right thing, the comforting thing, but they say the wrong thing.” In my opinion, Blatchford’s perspective on human’s is true, as we are far from perfect. We don't always say the right things only because we haven't experienced scenarios our peers may have. However, when we have a friendly creature such as dogs, it's best they cannot talk, just comfort us by cuddling. This is what makes a dog is

“A person can learn a lot from a dog, even a loopy one like ours...he taught me about friendship and selflessness and, above all else, unwavering loyalty,” says John Grogan, author of Marley & Me. Although dogs are just animals, they can bring out the best characteristics in people. Recently, an exploration of one of the most well-known pieces of canine non-fiction and an exploration of my own life has taught me just how true this is. In John Grogan’s Marley & Me and in my life, patience, flexibility, and love are frequently illustrated.

What comes to mind when one thinks of the word ‘puppy’? It is probable describe a puppy as a lovable, adorable, and cuddly companion. However, one might also identify the animal as a menace and a liability or even as a delicious source of food. Why does this single word hold so many meanings? One’s past experiences and biases influences these conflicting views and attitudes. For instance, an individual’s fond view of puppies may exist because they were raised with puppies and consequently grew affectionate toward the animals. On the contrary, if another individual has not bonded with puppies as pets, then they will share the latter point of view. In the short story “Puppy” by George Saunders, the multiple characters view single events and

walls. If you are out and driving, you can go so fast that everything's a blur out the window. Just like in today’s world, the government doesn’t make it as obvious but they want you to go out, spend your money, and get the newest and latest stuff so the people don’t care about anything that’s actually happening behind them. This book and today’s society are very alike. There are new technological advancements made every day."All of those chemical balances and percentages on all of us here in the house are recorded in the master file downstairs. It would be easy for someone to set up a partial combination on the Hound's ‘memory,’ a touch of amino acids, perhaps. That would account for what the animal did just now. Reacted toward me." This is a machine that can have emotion and control how it acts. In the book, they have mechanical hounds that can track and kill you, and our advancements today, can almost take us to that point too. You don’t have enough freedom to live in this society, but the people don’t realize it and only abide by the rules. Not only that but they are not allowed to maintain literature.

Ken Wiwa presents several ideas pertaining to language and culture within his essay, Get Beyond Babel. Wiwa explains that every language has a chance of dying out over time. For any language to survive through years of societal changes, it must be adapted so it can be used to embrace other cultures, new technology and new perspectives. Wiwa presents the concept that language is the same as culture. I do not agree with this concept because I believe that culture is carried by the people, not by the language.

However, for many of the other dogs in his pack, it brings them agony, or boredom. Some dogs simply hate his poems, while others do not fully understand them. Also “[i]t [is] not that Prince is in the least offensive. It [is] that nothing the dog said [is] of use” (Alexis 106). One of the top reasons why Prince is hated so much is because of his use of language, and his creation of poetry. The pack’s hatred of Prince also coincides with him wanting to use language, and develop his language, rather than go back to his old dog ways. There were plans to murder Prince, simply because of his desire to use language. Prince may love language, but the language is what causes him to be exiled from the pack, and disliked by many. This proves that language is quite ineffective when it comes to forming bonds with others in his pack. Furthermore, being disliked in the pack, causes Prince to have to decide whether to give up language, and feel as though he belongs in the pack, or to be on his own and to have no one with whom he can communicate. Prince has to make this difficult decision when he is approached by Hermes, who tells him the plans of his

In Catharine Sedgwick’s, Dogs, she uses the rhetorical appeal, logos, to help make it clear to the reader that animal cruelty is wrong, and to argue that goodness trumps genius. Sedgwick makes her argument clear, and logical, by telling the short anecdotes of the different dogs, throughout the short story as a whole. Each different story, whether it be the story of Apollo, the story of Misnias, the story of the bulldogs, the story of the bloodhounds, the story of foot, or even the story of the bunnies, all help to logically build Sedgwick’s argument, that animal cruelty is wrong, and that the goodness trumps genius, “Yes, William, such sports would certainly, have a tendency to confirm a cruel disposition. You will

My personal reactions to the book The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog, were positive and enlightening. I would describe my reactions as enlightening because the content was written in a different perspective than I originally expected. This book is a small memoir of the author’s growth and development as a psychiatrist working with children suffering from severe trauma. It is rare to find a book so informative and practical and yet inspiring to read; I’m glad this was a required piece for this course.

“Owners of dogs will have noticed that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they will think you are god. Whereas owners of cats are compelled to realize that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they draw the conclusion that they are gods.”

She made an animal with two ears, four legs, a tail, and was very hairy. She decided to name the creature dog, the dog was very large. All of the dogs were big. Artemis watched her dogs and she noticed that when they sat on their new owners they would crush their bones. The owners didn’t want the dogs anymore. The owners started to leave the dogs in the woods. The owners didn’t love the dogs anymore. Artemis gathered all of the dogs and thought about what she should do. She realized she just had to make them smaller.“Your owners do not like you big, so I must make you small,” Artemis said.She turned them all smaller than what they were, but she made a few medium sized. She turned the rest of the dogs small. She put the dogs back to their owners house. The owners saw that the dogs were smaller and took them

Nevertheless, John admitted that teaching the “master-beast” basics to the dog was necessary in their relationship. Reading the book, I understood how it’s hard to have patience when a dog doesn’t obey the master’s commands. On the other hand, if a person loves dogs, he will forgive the chewed leather shoes and shredded furniture.

listen to the pigs, and agree with what they say so that they will not

In life we all have something that has changed the way we perceive things. Most things that change a person’s perception happens to be an experience that they have gone thru and learned from. In my case it wasn’t necessarily an experience, it was a dog that changed my perception on life. My mind and heart was opened in a whole new way. I never thought I could love an animal just as much as I loved the people in my life. I always thought it was strange that pet owners loved and treated their pets the same way they treated their children. My perception on dogs or pets in general definitely changed. Throughout this paper you will see why I am a totally different person because of a dog that entered my life.