A Dog's Life

Squirrel’s older brother, Bone, is her mentor, companion, and foil. He motivates his sister through his confident, plucky personality, starting when Mother pushes them out of the wheelbarrow and he explores: “I looked up at Mother, at our little island, and I let out a whimper. But not Bone. Bone scampered to the floor. He spotted one of the cats and tried to pounce on her” (17). Since he’s more daring, Bone is Squirrel’s foil (opposite). While she’s timid, he’s fearless. Thus, Bone is the obvious leader and later pushes Squirrel to leave the Merrions’ land with him in search of a better home. Squirrel refuses to live without him: “The shed might have been my home, and Yellow Man and Matthias might have been my companions, but without Mother, Bone was my world. I could not be separated from him” (36). Especially after Mother disappears, Bone is Squirrel’s mentor and leads by example. Among other things, he starts their adventure, finds the woods and stream, and bites at Marcy so that they won’t be trapped with her and George. Bone dictates Squirrel’s next move, and she trusts his instincts and abilities without question. As her sibling companion, Bone is a strong and determined example for her and helps her thrive as a stray.

Bone doesn’t want to be separated from Squirrel, but even his strength can’t overcome humans. Despite his fighting spirit, he can’t prevent their parting: “The women gathered up their bags and walked off with a struggling, squirming Bone […] I tried to run after the women, but I couldn’t keep up with them. The pain in my shoulder made me sit down” (52). Both Bone and Squirrel are helpless against the women who take him, highlighting the theme of Human Influence on Animal Lives. Since he’s injured, Bone can’t retaliate; the humans’ power suffocates his bravery and independence. This scene is pivotal because it removes Bone’s power. The women steal both his freedom and his link to his sister, defusing his maverick spirit and pushing Squirrel into the next stage of her life: self-reliance.

As a stray dog, Mother is Squirrel’s caregiver, teacher, and protector early in life. She’s wise, empathetic, and attentive. She cares for her babies, loving and protecting them. Empathy is central to Mother’s personality: She helps and protects those in need. For example, she gives her milk to starving kittens when their mother is gone for hours. Likewise, her focus on safety is central to her identity. She has learned not to trust humans or other predators, so she’s alert and smart about avoiding the Merrions and Mine the fox: “I could tell when Mine was in the field, because Mother sat at strict, grim attention” (14). Her diligence keeps her puppies safe. Providing for her babies and ensuring their safety are her main goals, and she’s dedicated to them.

Mother’s knowledge and advice deeply affect Squirrel and Bone. Her lessons in hunting, scavenging, and avoiding enemies are critical to her pups’ survival. Squirrel values and follows these lessons; besides finding her own food and water, she must be “responsible” for “remembering the many, many things Mother had taught us—how to stay out of trouble, when to snap and bite at an animal, to steer clear of humans and other dogs, to clean our wounds, to groom ourselves” (27). The survival skills that Mother teaches Bone and Squirrel help them survive in the woods after leaving the Merrion property: Because of Mother, the pups know how to avoid predators and attend to their basic needs. Though Squirrel always misses Mother, she relies on Mother’s tutorials to sustain herself.

A small dog, Moon is a key supporting character who becomes Squirrel’s best friend, her confidante, and her only trusted ally after women take Bone. Moon is fierce, brave, loyal, and resilient. She first demonstrates these characteristics in her pursuit of humans’ garbage: “Moon may have been little, but she was brave […] like Bone. […] She marched boldly across one of the yards, reminding me of Mine, not bothering to listen for voices or to look around for other dogs” (68). As evident in this garbage scene, Moon influences Squirrel to have a healthy balance of caution and risk. For instance, she knows to avoid the men from the pound but charges into the dog fight to protect Squirrel.

The dog fight and its aftermath reveal Moon’s devotion and compassion. She risks her life to defend Squirrel: “[T]he dogs began to roll off of me and slink away. Moon was at my side, still snarling, still baring her teeth, still menacing the other dogs. […] Moon, who preferred not to hunt, had caught a meal for me” (80-84). By standing up to the dog pack, she defies the odds to protect her best friend. Hunting for Squirrel and licking her wounds show her care and allow Squirrel to recover. Without Moon’s aid, Squirrel may have died from the injuries she had from the dog fight, starvation, or dehydration. Moon saves Squirrel’s life, proving her worth as a trustworthy companion.

Though her boldness pays off many times, Moon’s nature causes her fatal mistake: chasing prey across the highway. Her failure to weigh the danger of crossing the road against her excitement over prey leads to her demise. Unlike Squirrel, Moon doesn’t stop to worry about vehicles. The pivotal scene of her death highlights the two dogs’ contrasting qualities: Squirrel is prudent, while Moon acts hastily. Moon’s loss reiterates the importance of caution; Squirrel never trusts roads again and never attempts to replace her best friend. While Bone and Mother vanished from her life, Squirrel witnesses Moon’s death, so her grief is more prominent: “I had seen many dead things in my life, and now Moon was one of them” (110). Moon’s death devastates Squirrel and continues the pattern of Squirrel’s grief and loneliness, forcing her to survive alone.

The principal human in the novel, Susan provides Squirrel’s forever home and becomes her caregiver, friend, and rescuer. She’s patient, kindhearted, talkative, independent, and gentle. From the first impression, Susan is compassionate, feeding Squirrel table scraps and gently coaxing her to come inside. Susan’s providing warm shelter, food, and tender care to Squirrel helped ensure that the old dog didn’t starve or freeze to death during the cold of winter.

Once Squirrel trusts Susan and enters her house, she embodies the roles of caregiver and companion by not only providing for Squirrel’s basic needs but talking to her like a friend. She takes Squirrel’s wants into consideration, not pushing her to adapt to human expectations. For instance, she asks Squirrel if she can pet her instead of forcing the action:

‘Do you mind if I pat you, Addie?’ she asked. ‘I don’t want to frighten you.’ Susan held her hand toward my snout. I sniffed her fingers. Then I gave them a small lick. […] She scratched me under my chin, then ran her hand slowly along my back. ‘Good girl’ (156).

Susan’s repetition of talking to Squirrel (whom she names Addie) continues based on her consideration of the dog’s needs and wants, not just her own. She talks often to Squirrel in dialogue, as if talking to a human companion, and her words calm the dog. By explaining everything from their meals to the vet, Susan makes Squirrel an equal, respected participant in her life.

Because Susan is so gentle, she earns Squirrel’s trust and thematically manifests all the positive facets of Human Influence on Animal Lives. In contrast to others like George and Marcy or the Beckers, Susan gives Squirrel only tender care. She’s akin to Dr. Roth, Matthias, and other kind souls who exemplify how humans can benefit animals. Susan provides the most impactful resources to Squirrel, not only tending to all her basic needs but also providing a warm home and empathetic caregiving.

In addition to being the most positive, helpful human in Squirrel’s life, she resolves the theme of The Search for Belonging and Companionship because Squirrel finally finds a safe, peaceful home with a companion she loves and relates to. Susan is a mirror to Squirrel because they’re both old, independent, and good-hearted. They’ve lived long lives and know they can make it alone but also enjoy each other’s company. By the final chapters, it’s clear that Susan and Squirrel have formed a bond that will last forever. Susan tells her dog, “‘You’re mine, and I’m yours, and this is our home’” (177). She’ll never let Squirrel down, giving her canine friend the love and attention she deserves.