52 pages • 1 hour read
Alexandra FullerDon't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight
Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 2001A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
The African Landscape
The African landscape is a multifaceted motif, simultaneously representing a sense of home and danger, in light of the author’s paradoxical relationship with the continent. Fuller paints a vivid picture of Africa’s beauty, using sensory details to evoke a sense of vastness and vibrancy. She describes the sights, sounds, and smells of Africa, emphasizing its allure and the deep emotional connection she feels toward it. Despite the constant moves within Africa, the continent itself becomes a constant, a source of comfort and familiarity. This portrayal evokes a sense of nostalgia and longing, as Africa becomes synonymous with “home” in a broader, more abstract sense.
However, alongside its portrayal as a place of comfort and familiarity, the African landscape also symbolizes danger and adversity for the Fuller family. Fuller depicts the harshness and unpredictability of the environment, highlighting the challenges they face in navigating its rugged terrain and hostile conditions. From the relentless heat to the threat of wildlife, the landscape serves as a constant reminder of the harsh realities of life in war-torn Africa.
Fuller’s construction of the African landscape as a motif in her memoir encapsulates the dichotomy of home and danger, weaving together themes of nostalgia, belonging, and adversity. This dual portrayal of the African landscape underscores the complexities of the Fuller family’s relationship with their surroundings, reflecting both the comfort of home and the challenges of survival in a harsh and unforgiving environment.
Displacement
The motif of displacement pervades Fuller’s memoir, capturing not only her family’s constant moves but also the broader historical context of colonialism and its profound impact on both Africans and European settlers.
The motif is intrinsically connected to the larger historical context of colonialism, as Africans were displaced from their ancestral lands and traditional ways of life due to colonization. Colonial rule fundamentally reshaped the African landscape, not just geographically but also in terms of human lives. Vast tracts of land were appropriated for European settlement, displacing indigenous communities from their ancestral homes and disrupting their traditional ways of life. This dispossession had a devastating impact, severing these communities from their cultural roots and their connection to the land.
On the other hand, the motif also highlights the sense of rootlessness and upheaval the Fuller family experiences as they frequently relocate across various African countries, including Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Zambia, driven by the end of colonial rule in Rhodesia. In an attempt to cling to a sense of superiority and entitlement, the family struggles to reconcile their colonial past with the shifting political and social dynamics of post-independence Africa. Fuller acknowledges the problematic aspects of British settler colonialism, highlighting the complexities of navigating one’s sense of identity and belonging in a postcolonial world, feeling herself caught between her English heritage and her African upbringing.
Superstitions
Superstitions are a multifaceted symbol in the memoir, reflecting anxieties about mortality, fate, and the author’s struggle to find meaning in a chaotic world. Superstitions are seen as a way of grappling with the unpredictable nature of life. Death is a constant presence in the Fullers’ lives, with several of their children dying young. The lack of proper funerals for the deceased children deepens the family’s struggle to come to terms with loss and find closure.
Adding to this, the African belief surrounding “coming-back babies,” spirits of deceased children reborn into new bodies, creates a sense of unease and a fear of repeating past tragedies. Alexandra’s belief that she was born into war because of this superstition reflects a larger anxiety about her own place in the world and the possibility of inheriting the misfortunes of the past. Another potent symbol of superstition is the pottery that Alexandra recklessly handles, despite warnings of its ominous significance. This pottery serves as a symbol of the dangers of tempting fate. The symbol is a key aspect of Alexandra’s characterization, as it relates the sense of fatalistic acceptance with which she navigates the challenges of her upbringing.
However, it’s important to note the problematic aspect of linking Africa to superstition. While these beliefs are portrayed as integral to the family’s lives, they also perpetuate stereotypes about Africa as a place of mystery and irrationality. By associating superstitions with the African landscape, the memoir inadvertently reinforces Western perceptions of Africa as exotic and primitive, overlooking the complexity and diversity of African cultures and belief systems.
