If a dog can bark for no apparent reason in SH5, why can't a lion roar? It’s a question I ask myself every day, but to no avail.
I'll tell you a short story. Once upon a time, many prestigious authors (see comment section for some examples), decided to add a little catchphrase in their books: "Far away, a dog barked." The motive behind this startling revolution was not publicly revealed. Naturally, readers and critics started discussing in great lengths what this sentence could possibly mean.
"It signifies the awkward silence in that particular moment in the story," claimed an English teacher.
"From my perspective, it's simply a means to detract all the seriousness from the text. It’s Vonnegut’s strange humour,” hypothesized an erudite scholar.
“It’s Vonnegut’s way of winning,” Charlie Sheen confidently stated.
…So what does this catchphrase mean? Has there been deep thought put into this sentence, and is it just so profound that I can’t understand it? Or is this barking dog just something insignificant Vonnegut tossed in to meet a word count?
If you ask me, I agree with the English teacher. But I’m curious. If it turns out to be just some irrelevant flotsam, then am I allowed to interject my stories with a “meanwhile, a lion roared”? I could say that the lion symbolizes the conflict between two characters and provides a brief comforting pause amidst the chaos in the plot. ;)
I find this outrageous! Tell me what you think. Meanwhile, watch this lion roar:
or these lions purr:
I don't read too often (not English books anyways), and I'm not really familiar with any other authors who use the dog bark thing. Could you tell me others? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteJackie Collins, William Faulkner, and Chuck Palahniuk are all some exceptional authors who use the barking dog motif. Look up some of their books! Personally, I've really grown to enjoy Palahniuk's novels!
ReplyDelete“There was no more rain, just an eerie stillness, a deathly silence. Somewhere a dog barked mournfully.” (American Star)
“She did not answer for a time. The fireflies drifted; somewhere a dog barked, mellow sad, faraway.” (Light in August)
“This is such a fine neighborhood. I jump the fence to the next backyard and land on my head in somebody’s rose bush. Somewhere a dog’s barking.” (Choke)