Comparison of Fifteen Dogs and The White Bone
Comparison of Fifteen Dogs and The White Bone
Fifteen Dogs and The White Bone are both examples of imaginative writing and provide a detailed account of the lives of animals struggling for survival. In each novel, the animals allow readers an intimate look into the experience of other living creatures. Both texts focus on animal life and examine it in their own distinctive ways. The authors present their animal characters with individual names, family backgrounds, distinct personalities, and complex relationships. According to these novels, animals are capable of reasoning and feeling emotions; both writers discuss themes such as faith, power, belonging, love, and hatred among animals. In addition, both novels show that animals can develop their own systems of law and morality and form unique societies. The consciousness shown by the dogs and elephants appears throughout both stories. Their struggles with identity, emotion, language, and growth challenge traditional human assumptions. Both authors explore a range of traits including religion, language, emotions, mortality, love, reasoning, the sense of belonging, and dominance by comparing and contrasting these features in the animal world.
Both novels suggest that the cultures of dogs and elephants are quite complex, it's filled with their own rituals and traditions. Language is another important point of comparison. In each story, language is tied more to myth than to science. In Fifteen Dogs, Benjy’s wish to learn the human language, Nira’s bond with Majnoun, and Atticus’s resistance to language all highlight how communication shapes their world. Benjy’s effort to learn English shows she understands the influence language has and she uses it as a way to gain control over others. Throughout both novels, language stands out as a vital part of animal's life, it acts as a tool for building social ties and community. At the same time, both stories point out that language creates a division between religion and the secular, suggesting that communication is a unifying force and a source of separation. For comparison, the concept of mortality in both novels stands out as a key theme. Each author explores differences between mortal and immortal animal life. In The White Bone, the earth is described as a “domain,” while the afterlife is imagined as “eternal shoreless water,” a place where bulls and calves go after death. The novel also addresses gender differences among animals after death; female elephants (cows) are said to go to paradise, while bulls enter the endless shoreless place.
In contrast, Fifteen Dogs focuses on the difficult conditions animals must face as their lives unfold, pushing them toward a broader understanding of existence. The novel presents mortality as a fundamental divide. As the narrator states:
“And yet, a divide existed between them, one that the god could not breach, despite his power, knowledge, and subtlety: death. On one side, the immortals. On the other, these beings. He could no more understand what it was to live with death than they could what it was to exist without it.” (Alexis, 2015, p. 170)
No one can truly imagine what it means to live an immortal life, since death is the only way to know it. Both novels point out that mortal existence is limited. In Fifteen Dogs, Atticus comes to recognize aspects of religion, while Majnoun relies on others and on Prince in particular to create and share language. The stories suggest that mortality is the defining reality for all living beings, and everyone must eventually die and experience whatever comes after. Religion appears as another important theme for comparison. Both novels pay careful attention to the idea of the divine. Characters such as Majnoun, Benjy, and Atticus in Fifteen Dogs each encounter their own sense of divinity. For instance, Nira explains the idea of religion to Majnoun, opening up questions about belief and faith among animals. Both books also present the idea that there is a master above all others, as seen in these lines:
The Prince said, "Beyond the hills, a master is / who knows our secret names. / With bell and bones, he will call us home, / winter, fall or spring." (Alexis, 2015, p. 29)
The writers also make it clear that animals have their own perceptions about what happens after death. Benjy, for example, imagines an afterlife that seems strict and difficult, with rules and challenges he didn’t face on earth. In The White Bone, the narrator explains that religion plays a central role for the elephants and shapes much of what they do; they even give their belief system the name White Bone. Both novels discuss the idea of divine rule in the lives of animals. Moreover, the way elephants and dogs imagine divinity is different from human perspectives. These animals are shown to have intelligence similar to humans, so their relationship with the divine depends on their own qualities and experiences as believers. Power is another important theme in both novels. In many ways, power is presented as the opposite of love. Both stories suggest that relationships built on power offer less appreciation and understanding than those based on love. Still, certain types of power can help animals deal with uncertainty and clear up confusion when they are misled. For example, in Fifteen Dogs, Atticus misjudges Majnoun and Bobbie due to the power he holds and even plans to kill them. Similarly, in The White Bone, the cows have more power and dominance over the bulls. In short, the female elephants possess more authority than the males.
These novels also suggest that power and domination are two different ways of looking at authority. Understanding the connection between them is important for making sense of mortality. If they are not balanced, one may end up dominating the other and imposing its will. The meaning of love is examined in both novels. In The White Bone, love is not openly expressed among the elephants. They find it difficult to communicate their feelings to those they care about. For instance, the bull says he loves mud, but cannot admit his feelings to another elephant. In Fifteen Dogs, the relationship between Nira and Majnoun stands out. Nira’s love is influenced by the religion and rules of her world, while Majnoun is uncertain about his own feelings for another dog. Eventually, by learning Nira’s language, Majnoun comes to understand what true love means. The novel shows that language is essential for animals to communicate their emotions, including love. Prince’s skill with language allows him to recognize and interpret the feelings between Kim and Hermes, showing how language can reveal the depth of love.
“In his last moment on earth, Prince loved and knew that he was loved in return.” (Alexis, 2015, p. 171)
In both books, language and love are connected, as language helps express and communicate feelings of love. It can be concluded that both novels focus on exploring different aspects of animal cultures. Their feelings and emotions related to death, love, and power are clearly discussed in these novels. Both novels are written effectively and cover all essential aspects of animal life. The relationship between animals and the divine, and the difference between mortal and immortal life, are portrayed in an impressive way. These novels also address the intelligence capabilities of animals. Moreover, both state that animals express their emotions of love through the use of language and signs. In short, both present a clear picture of animal life.
References
- Alexis, A. (2015). Fifteen Dogs. Coach House Books.