What's with that Dog?

[Shea]

I've read Hawthorne's "Ethan Brand" and I found all sorts of things on the Wandering Jew etc. But what's with that dog? Does he represent pointless questing? That when we search for something that doesn't matter or would be useless when we get it, we go back to the way we were?:confused:

[Black Flag]

Originally posted by Shea
I've read Hawthorne's "Ethan Brand" and I found all sorts of things on the Wandering Jew etc. But what's with that dog? Does he represent pointless questing? That when we search for something that doesn't matter or would be useless when we get it, we go back to the way we were?:confused:

Ummmmm.....could be. Or the dog chasing his tail could represent Ethan Brand's moral nature striving to keep the pace of improvemnt with his intellect. Just as it seemed the two halves of the dogs body were fighting against each other (I don't remember the exact words) so also were Ethan Brand's moral nature and intellect locked in a desperate struggle--or at least they had been.

There may be several symbolisms here--or ,as my old lit professor believed, there can be only one interpretation. He didn't believe that literature and poetry was relative to the reader. I'm not sure if I do or not, though. :rolleyes:

[Shea]

Originally posted by Black Flag
There may be several symbolisms here--or ,as my old lit professor believed, there can be only one interpretation. He didn't believe that literature and poetry was relative to the reader. I'm not sure if I do or not, though. :rolleyes:

It really hurts when somebody doesn't thind that a work is relative to the reader!:( If I had published something, I would want feedback from every type of person because they all have something to bring to the table. Such a formalist veiw makes literature seem so bland!

Thanks for your imput!:) I was thinking along those same lines too about the dog, but it's such an abstract symbol that I wanted to get many different opinions. Thanks!

[Black Flag]

Originally posted by Shea
It really hurts when somebody doesn't thind that a work is relative to the reader!:( If I had published something, I would want feedback from every type of person because they all have something to bring to the table. Such a formalist veiw makes literature seem so bland!

Thanks for your imput!:) I was thinking along those same lines too about the dog, but it's such an abstract symbol that I wanted to get many different opinions. Thanks!

Well, what my lit prof was saying is that he believed that the original writer had only his own original meaning behind the symbolism in his words, therefore all other interpretations by the different readers of those words were "imposters" if you will. At least I think that's what he meant.

As an occaional amateur writer of prose I can almost relate to that viewpoint, as I wouldn't want to create a symbolism which meant something personal to me and then find my readers putting totally different interpretations on it.

I do hope others respond to this thread though, because I'm interested in seeing what they think the dog chasing his tail could mean (if anything other than an amusing part of the story!) It's a short story guys and it's on the network :)