A Dog's Life

The story’s protagonist, Squirrel, tells her life story in first person. She’s thoughtful, vigilant, and emotional. She changes and grows from a fearful, sheltered, and dependent puppy to a brave and independent dog. As a puppy, Squirrel is cautious, listening to Mother and avoiding dangers like the Merrions and Mine the fox. Squirrel relies on these lessons and her inherent awareness to avoid conflicts, but after Mother disappears, she must become more courageous and self-reliant. To survive, she must become adventurous like Bone: “The more we investigated, the braver I felt, but only when Bone was in front of me. With Bone in front, his tail high, my own tail was held high. With Bone out of sight, I was lost” (17). Bone’s companionship helps Squirrel gain enough confidence to leave the Merrion house with him, developing survival skills and taking risks that ultimately lead her to Susan. In fact, this period in her youth acts as Squirrel’s first progression; she learns to hunt and scavenge to find food, shelter, and water to help ensure her health and safety. She adapts to the wild, where she can’t rely on Mother’s caregiving or easy sources of food like the Merrions’ garbage.