“His Dog” was the most entertaining story in his collection, Nebraska. I think that this has a lot to do with the point of view, a closer third that was limited to the main character, a crook that robs gas stations at gun point and is never given a name. Even though the third person narrator is distant, almost objective, never dipping into his unspoken thoughts or feelings, the camera never leaves him.The drama of the story is between a dog and the robber. It is a little more complicated than this, but this is the crux: The robber falls in love (sort of) with a dog that he has seen around town while robbing convince and liquor stores. The dog just keeps showing up, pet here, guard dog there, until the robber steals the dog bring her back to his home. The dog has a taste for blood, a hunter. The robber catches the dog killing some small animal in the forest. The robber is appalled and punishes her. It happens again. Then on the next robbery he has to kill the clerk. There is some parallel between the dog’s violence and his. It is as if they are made for each other. Then the dog bits and rips his hand. This feels like punishment for his killing the attendant. He, however, now hates the dog. He thinks about running her over with his jeep, but doesn’t.
As a writer, I want to take away from this story a craft tool that I hope to utilize in future revisions, focus—all of the details and scenes revolve around and complicate the relationship between the robber and the dog. I have a tendency in my fiction to wander off into left field like child with ADD that likes bright objects. The economy of the story is what makes the narrative refreshing.
Hansen, Ron. “His Dog.” Nebraska. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1989. p. 61 - 76
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