A Dog's Life

In the Prologue, the author introduces a nonlinear timeline by using older Squirrel’s reminiscing. Through the voice of Squirrel as an old dog, the story uses the structure of a memoir: “I’ve known all these dogs, and I’ve been all these dogs” (2). The dog reflects on her past with the wisdom of age. She begins in the present-tense moment with Susan and then jumps into her past-tense memories. Thus, the main chapters of the book, in Parts 1-4, take place in the past and use past-tense language. The author’s structure of showing Squirrel in the present time first reveals that she’s safe and healthy but gives details that pique interest, like mentions of a shed and other dogs like Moon and Bone. This technique leaves readers to wonder about these characters, which builds plot momentum and suspense. By structuring the novel with only the Prologue and Epilogue in present tense, Martin effectively establishes Squirrel as an elderly, wise dog with the authority to share her recollections.

To strengthen the memoir-like structure, Squirrel bridges the past and present with thoughtfulness. This writing technique connects her contemporary time to her history and establishes her meditative nature. As a reflective dog, she links details and experiences from her past to the present: “[Matthias] was carrying a book now, and talking to himself, and his face looked like Susan’s does after Mrs. Oliver has told her she’s too old to be living on her own” (29). By mentioning Matthias, Susan, and Mrs. Oliver all at once, the dog alludes to meaningful connections that add complexity to the text. She isn’t just thinking about one scene alone but about individual recollections in coordination with other associations. Squirrel’s thought patterns resemble those of humans, striving to make meaning and links between then and now, learning from personal histories. This continual overlap between past and present emphasizes the power of reflection and reminds readers that Squirrel is telling her story through a more mature lens.

Squirrel’s voice is direct, honest, and emotional, which fits her personality. Since she’s observant and cautious, she focuses on the most crucial details, rather than using flowery language. Her language establishes craft elements like world-building, settings, characters, conflicts, and plot with only pertinent details. For instance, the author uses specific but sparse details to fit the dog’s narrative style, even for plot twists: “Early the next morning, Mother left the shed and trotted off in the direction of the garbage heap. She never came back” (24). Instead of getting into sensory imagery or long passages describing her reactions, Squirrel tells the facts plainly. She doesn’t add frills, which makes the devastation of Mother’s leaving more impactful. Before Squirrel explores her feelings and thoughts, she shares her personal plotline in a matter-of-fact way. She starts with the experience and then analyzes it, much like journal entries, and this candid voice continues throughout the book to make Squirrel relatable and build empathy for her.

To also build empathy for Squirrel, anthropomorphism instills the dog with human qualities, including her layers of emotions. She experiences human-like emotions of fear, grief, loneliness, joy, contentment, etc. For example, Squirrel feels conflicting emotions when Bone insists that they leave the Merrion property:

I imagine that Matthias searched his yard for us for more days than Yellow Man did. He must have […] searched the entire property, and then maybe even ventured off the property. And knowing what I have learned about emotions, I think he was probably sad for a very long time.

If I had imagined these things when I was a puppy, though—if I had imagined Yellow Man waiting and Matthias searching—I would still have run after Bone. The shed might have been my home, and Yellow Man and Matthias might have been my companions, but without Mother, Bone was my world (36).

Her inner conflicts show human qualities because her emotions and experiences are relatable. She feels sad about leaving home and worries about possible separation from her sibling. Later, she shares her happiness about her friendship with Moon, her loss over Mother, determination to stay alive on her own, thoughts of where Bone may be, questions about why humans help or hurt her, and her growing love and gratitude for Susan. These instances and many more showcase Squirrel’s ongoing anthropomorphic tendencies, like her emotive and pensive storytelling.

As the first setting, the Merrion house represents a microcosm of the larger natural world, introducing and illustrating the theme of Human Influence on Animal Lives. Their home is the center of an ecosystem of many “neighborhoods” for animals: “All were linked to form an animal world with the Merrions’ house at the center” (3). Without their realizing it, their home provides shelter and sustenance to animals, while their actions can hurt or harm them—as when a staff member shoots Mine the fox. The text establishes the hierarchy of animals and humans in Squirrel’s puppyhood to show that she can’t escape the laws of nature. As the top “predator” in the food chain, the humans are the main influencers. Living as a stray, Squirrel must learn ways of survival, adapting to the predators and situations of the environment, such as avoiding humans or befriending other shed animals. The Merrion home and their influence over the creatures who live there generates an ongoing concern about how humans can harm or hinder animals, which increases awareness about human responsibility and animal rights.

The author uses dialogue only for humans, and this choice creates conflicts of misunderstanding between species. By only writing dialogue for humans, the book emphasizes that animals have instinctive communication, whereas humans must use verbal communication (that is, spoken or written). Therefore, Squirrel, Bone, and Mother never have dialogue; they communicate with their own language that they never elucidate. People, in contrast, like George and Marcy, speak frequently. The text crafts conflict between George and Marcy and the puppies because they can’t communicate in return. For instance, Squirrel and Bone can’t tell the couple when they must relieve themselves or that they hate the dark laundry room. They must use animal howls and other means to get attention, which the couple doesn’t attempt to decipher; instead, they label them as “bad dogs” and abuse them. Squirrel must use nonverbal actions to communicate, such as sitting by the door to signal her desire to go inside, and this constant barrier reflects real-life cross-species interactions.