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5.17.2005
A Question of Twentieth Century Literature, American
It is the story of five puppies who dug a hole under their fence and went for a walk in the wide, wide world. Their mother, of course, is angry, and sends four of hem to bed without any dessert each time she catches them -- but the last puppy (henceforth "Poky") comes home late, after everyone is asleep, and eats up all of the desserts. The other four puppies get tired of being sent to bed, so when they're caught the last time, they fill up the hole and are surprised by their mother, who then gives them all the dessert they could want. Unfortunately, however, this has the effect of leaving Poky in the lurch, and when he has to sneak back in to the yard through a different hole in the fence, they've eaten up all the dessert and he gets bupkes. "What a pity you're so poky!" his mother says. Here are the questions for you budding English lit majors to ponder upon: 1) Unless their mother is quite blind, she knows that someone's dug a hole under the fence. Logic would dictate that it was done by one or all of her five children. Why, then, would she make dessert for them? Followup question: what does she think happened to it each morning? 2) Are dog's senses so keen and accurate that they can hear/see/smell dessert being spooned into their bowls from at least a mile away? 3) Why are the four puppies rewarded for covering their tracks? 4) Assuming for a moment that there is a lesson to be learned here, is it a) digging holes is bad, but being late ("poky") is worse; b) puppies are suckers for strawberry shortcake; c) selling out your poky sibling is okay if you get dessert out of it; or d) it's a kids' book, stupid? TOMORROW: The implications of cultural politics in RANDOLPH, THE BEAR WHO SAID "NO!" Class dismissed.
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