Hell is Other Parents close reading

Hell Is Other ParentsBy Jo Carter

Motif of dogs:

Kujo, The Evil One, The Good One

‘Her dog is a waist-high German Shepherd with a glossy coat and

fractious nature. Privately, I nickname him Kujo.’

‘Her dog is a waist-high German Shepherd with a glossy coat and fractious nature. Privately, I nickname him Kujo.’

• Fractious; resistant to authority or control; stubborn

‘Her dog is a waist-high German Shepherd with a glossy coat and fractious nature. Privately, I nickname him Kujo.’

• Fractious; resistant to authority or control; stubborn

• His behaviour contradicts his appearance; he looks socially acceptable but does not act it.

‘Her dog is a waist-high German Shepherd with a glossy coat and fractious nature. Privately, I nickname him Kujo.’

• Fractious; resistant to authority or control; stubborn

• His behaviour contradicts his appearance; he looks socially acceptable but does not act it.

•His name is a reference to the Stephen King novel, Cujo, about a rabid dog that kills his owners and other people.

‘Her dog is a waist-high German Shepherd with a glossy coat and fractious nature. Privately, I nickname him Kujo.’

• Fractious; resistant to authority or control; stubborn

• His behaviour contradicts his appearance; he looks socially acceptable but does not act it.

•His name is a reference to the Stephen King novel, Cujo, about a rabid dog that kills his owners and other people.

•Cujo (by King) got his name from the nom de guerre of Willie Wolf of SLA – Symbionese Liberation Army, a left-wing militant group in 1970s USA; committed murders, bank robberies and kidnappings.

‘Her dog is a waist-high German Shepherd with a glossy coat and fractious nature. Privately, I nickname him Kujo.’

• Fractious; resistant to authority or control; stubborn

• His behaviour contradicts his appearance; he looks socially acceptable but does not act it.

•His name is a reference to the Stephen King novel, Cujo, about a rabid dog that kills his owners and other people.

•Cujo (by King) got his name from the nom de guerre of Willie Wolf of SLA – Symbionese Liberation Army, a left-wing militant group in 1970s USA; committed murders, bank robberies and kidnappings.

•What does this mean? Kujo is instinctively designed to rebel against authority – is his authority Vanessa or society, or both?

‘I have two easily excitable terriers. The Good One throws herself at everyone she meets, hysterical with lust for their affection. She rubs her fluffy white locks on their legs, barking urgently in demand for love, or at least a pat.’

‘I have two easily excitable terriers. The Good One throws herself at everyone she meets, hysterical with lust for their affection. She rubs her fluffy white locks on their legs, barking urgently in demand for love, or at least a pat.’

• The Good One is female; she is attractive ‘fluffy white locks’, innocent ‘white’, sexual(?) ‘lust for affection...urgently in demand for love’.

‘I have two easily excitable terriers. The Good One throws herself at everyone she meets, hysterical with lust for their affection. She rubs her fluffy white locks on their legs, barking urgently in demand for love, or at least a pat.’

• The Good One is female; she is attractive ‘fluffy white locks’, innocent ‘white’, sexual(?) ‘lust for affection...urgently in demand for love’.

• Are these the social expectations for women? Pretty, innocent and (sexually) needy?

‘I have two easily excitable terriers. The Good One throws herself at everyone she meets, hysterical with lust for their affection. She rubs her fluffy white locks on their legs, barking urgently in demand for love, or at least a pat.’

• The Good One is female; she is attractive ‘fluffy white locks’, innocent ‘white’, sexual(?) ‘lust for affection...urgently in demand for love’.

• Are these the social expectations for women? Pretty, innocent and (sexually) needy?

• Technique; personification/ anthropomorphism

‘The Evil One throws himself at everyone he meets, hysterical in his desire to show them who’s boss. Short dog syndrome’.

‘The Evil One throws himself at everyone he meets, hysterical in his desire to show them who’s boss. Short dog syndrome’.

•The Evil One is male; dominant ‘show them who’s boss’, not taken seriously by women (his owner); makes fun of his incompetence

‘The Evil One throws himself at everyone he meets, hysterical in his desire to show them who’s boss. Short dog syndrome’.

•The Evil One is male; dominant ‘show them who’s boss’, not taken seriously by women (his owner); makes fun of his incompetence

•Both dogs are ‘hysterical’ – do neither of them have control over these gender stereotypes and reactions?

‘Angus pounces joyfully’

‘Angus pounces joyfully’

• Dog-like action, ‘pounce’. This is an action we would expect from the dogs

‘Angus pounces joyfully’

• Dog-like action, ‘pounce’. This is an action we would expect from the dogs

•What parallels are drawn here, why?

•How is Angus similar to the dogs?

‘She grabs at Kujo, who is hurling himself at the fence, lurching his great black head through the bars to gnash his teeth at me and my two small dogs’

• Graphic imagery – ‘great black head, gnash his teeth’; demonstrates his absolute power over the submissive/ helpless mum and little dogs.

‘She grabs at Kujo, who is hurling himself at the fence, lurching his great black head through the bars to gnash his teeth at me and my two small dogs’

• Graphic imagery – ‘great black head, gnash his teeth’; demonstrates his absolute power over the submissive/ helpless mum and little dogs.

•Note: Kujo does not have ‘little dog syndrome’; he demands and receives attention.

‘She grabs at Kujo, who is hurling himself at the fence, lurching his great black head through the bars to gnash his teeth at me and my two small dogs’

• Graphic imagery – ‘great black head, gnash his teeth’; demonstrates his absolute power over the submissive/ helpless mum and little dogs.

•Note: Kujo does not have ‘little dog syndrome’; he demands and receives attention.

•Contrast/ juxtaposition of the ‘great’ dog and the ‘little dogs’

‘She grabs at Kujo, who is hurling himself at the fence, lurching his great black head through the bars to gnash his teeth at me and my two small dogs’

‘Kujo’s deep sandpaper growl accompanied by the piercing yaps of my dogs’

‘Kujo’s deep sandpaper growl accompanied by the piercing yaps of my dogs’

• Use of onomatopia to emphasise the contrast between the dogs; growl/ yaps

‘Kujo’s deep sandpaper growl accompanied by the piercing yaps of my dogs’

• Use of onomatopia to emphasise the contrast between the dogs; growl/ yaps

• Use of descriptive language; ‘deep sandpaper growl...piercing yaps’ to emphasize the difference between the two dogs.

‘Kujo’s deep sandpaper growl accompanied by the piercing yaps of my dogs’

• Use of onomatopia to emphasise the contrast between the dogs; growl/ yaps

• Use of descriptive language; ‘deep sandpaper growl...piercing yaps’ to emphasize the difference between the two dogs.

• How are the voices of the dogs reflected by the voices and attitudes of their owners?

‘...watching Kujo throw himself at the bars in a frenzy. We make small talk while we wait for Vanessa to come and rescue us. She wrestles the dog inside the house and out the back door’.

‘...watching Kujo throw himself at the bars in a frenzy. We make small talk while we wait for Vanessa to come and rescue us. She wrestles the dog inside the house and out the back door’.

• Vanessa is the only character who can control Kujo; the others have to wait to be ‘rescued’ from him.

‘...watching Kujo throw himself at the bars in a frenzy. We make small talk while we wait for Vanessa to come and rescue us. She wrestles the dog inside the house and out the back door’.

• Vanessa is the only character who can control Kujo; the others have to wait to be ‘rescued’ from him.

•Why is this? What does it tell us about the power play between Vanessa and Kujo?

‘...watching Kujo throw himself at the bars in a frenzy. We make small talk while we wait for Vanessa to come and rescue us. She wrestles the dog inside the house and out the back door’.

• Vanessa is the only character who can control Kujo; the others have to wait to be ‘rescued’ from him.

•Why is this? What does it tell us about the power play between Vanessa and Kujo?

•What does it tell us about Vanessa’s character?

‘... she turns her attention to our dogs. The Evil One lurches at her, barking. Felix looks her in the eye. ‘He doesn’t like you,’ he says.’

‘... she turns her attention to our dogs. The Evil One lurches at her, barking. Felix looks her in the eye. ‘He doesn’t like you,’ he says.’

• The dog is no longer ‘yapping’, now it ‘barks’ – has it matured? Is it more powerful? Is it being taken more seriously?

‘... she turns her attention to our dogs. The Evil One lurches at her, barking. Felix looks her in the eye. ‘He doesn’t like you,’ he says.’

• The dog is no longer ‘yapping’, now it ‘barks’ – has it matured? Is it more powerful? Is it being taken more seriously?

•The Evil One ‘lurches’. This action was previously made by Kujo. What does this tell us about how The Evil One is changing?

‘... she turns her attention to our dogs. The Evil One lurches at her, barking. Felix looks her in the eye. ‘He doesn’t like you,’ he says.’

• The dog is no longer ‘yapping’, now it ‘barks’ – has it matured? Is it more powerful? Is it being taken more seriously?

•The Evil One ‘lurches’. This action was previously made by Kujo. What does this tell us about how The Evil One is changing?

•Why is it The Evil One instead of The Good One that barks?

‘... she turns her attention to our dogs. The Evil One lurches at her, barking. Felix looks her in the eye. ‘He doesn’t like you,’ he says.’

• The dog is no longer ‘yapping’, now it ‘barks’ – has it matured? Is it more powerful? Is it being taken more seriously?

•The Evil One ‘lurches’. This action was previously made by Kujo. What does this tell us about how The Evil One is changing?

•Why is it The Evil One instead of The Good One that barks?

•This is the first point in the story that Felix actively interacts with his dogs. Why is this? (Emphasises the connection between them?)

‘... she turns her attention to our dogs. The Evil One lurches at her, barking. Felix looks her in the eye. ‘He doesn’t like you,’ he says.’

• The dog is no longer ‘yapping’, now it ‘barks’ – has it matured? Is it more powerful? Is it being taken more seriously?

•The Evil One ‘lurches’. This action was previously made by Kujo. What does this tell us about how The Evil One is changing?

•Why is it The Evil One instead of The Good One that barks?

•This is the first point in the story that Felix actively interacts with his dogs. Why is this? (Emphasises the connection between them?)

•What parallels does this draw between The Evil One and Felix? What is the effect of this?