"The Dogs of March"

Paper Summary:

This paper presents the novel, which is set in New England and about the American Dream. It explains that the novel gives an emotional drama of characters that live simple lives, depicts the common day to day turmoil faced by people, and the effect that this turmoil has on others. It states that the main character, Howard Elman, is an anti-hero to some and, to others, just a man struggling to make his life worth living.

From the Paper:

"Keeping this in mind we read The Dogs of March and believe that the lives of the characters are being dramatized and presented in the best light possible. Yet, reading between the lines we see that the picture is not as clear as first believed for there is a darker side to the quaint life being led that is satirized by the author. The basic story of the novel is based on the theme of a local manufacturing firm being closed as a blue-collar loses their American Dream. As the firm closes we see the Howard Elman's family break apart. He loses his farm as the educated immigrants that enter the area are better equipped to handle the technological changes that are taking place and implementing them in the society. As the family deteriorates Herbert outlines the thoughts and feelings of Elman who is compared to a small deer who is chased in the woods by house pets and left to his own devices to survive. The comparison seems to underline the helplessness of the character. A new born deer of spring is helpless for weeks depending on the parents for survival and we can imagine the fate of the poor deer were it left to survive without protection."

More papers on "The Dogs of March":

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