A Dark Brown Dog by Stephen Crane symbolizes the awful adaptation that freed slaves endured after the Civil War. In the short story we’re given plenty of descriptions of awful treatment to something that just wants to be loved. There is a dog that can be identified as a slave and a child who resembles the new generation as it began to overcome the Jim Crow era. The father represents the South as it fought to keep slavery laws in place while family and neighbors reflect the growing want for better conditions of slaves but also the lack of action.
The dog in this case, represents a slave who has just been released from captivity. We see proof of this by the author’s mentioning “a short rope was dragging from his neck”, meaning a leash. If you’ll notice, the author doesn’t simply refer to it as a leash. Imagine now a slave that has just been released from indentured servitude, being set free. Imagine how scared that person would be as they went on about their life, having just went through such treacherous times. The dog see’s a boy and is immediately wanting to please him and make him happy. This type behavior is awfully reflective of the lifestyle a slave was subject to in the times of the Jim Crow laws. (new life, prove themselves, submission)
Next, we have the child that mistreats the dog immediately. The child knows how to be mean to the dog without even thinking and for a time, thinks it’s funny. The child laughs at the way the dog rolls over when struck and is amused by the “praying” stance that comes about when the dog is paralyzed with fear. But as we move further into the story, we see that the child begins to value the dog. At this point the child is representative of what some would call “the new South”. A group of people being told that their way of life is no longer legal, and they must treat the slaves as equals. The author makes a point to say that the dog was “disreputable”, meaning it was not respectable in character or appearance. This can easily be compared to the sentiment in the South during the time that slaves were being set free. As the two begin to set out on adventures together, the boy is able to find a companion in the dog and they become inseparable.
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Now we have the father of who is mean and seemingly heartless. He represents the way that the South acted during the Jim Crow laws. We’re made aware of this when the author illuminates this statement, “he perceived that it would amaze and anger everybody if such a dog were allowed to remain”. The statement eludes to the way things were before the North won the war. Nobody would allow a slave to be a part of the family therefor in this story, the dog was unwelcome. It was not until the wife rebelled at the actions of the father that he reversed his decision and the child could keep the dog. When the time came for dog to meet its demise, the father takes joy in the act. The father “advanced with glee upon the dog” as described by the author, showing no remorse. With no sympathy, the father decides to toss the dog out of the window and sends him to his awful death below where everyone could witness the atrocity. These actions are described in detail to show the audience that the man doesn’t care for this creature and never has. We can relate this to the way that the slaves were treated, with no regard for life or equality. Even after the North intervened, laws were created but rarely enforced.
Finally, we look at the family of the child and the neighbors surrounding his home. These characters seem to suggest that they are symbolic of the people and communities surrounding the South. The neighboring states which knew of the horrors being allowed to take place but couldn’t do much about it. There was a sense of displeasure with the dog but ultimately the family participated in the mistreatment and didn’t do anything to stop it. Many people sat back and watched in disbelief at the treatment of slaves but remained a part of the bigger problem. The neighbors heard the fussing and fighting that led to the dog perishing but could only gasp in horror when things finally went to far.
To conclude, the author uses various symbols to reflect upon life as slaves recall during the Jim Crow timeframe. A small child whose innocence is masked by pure hatred being handed down from his father, struggles to show compassion to the dog. The father runs the house and heavily influences the young boy in his first meetings with the dog up to and including laughing at the animals suffering. Then we have the family and neighbors who are complicit with the treatment of the dog but are not actively doing anything to stop the abuse. All of these characters can be tied to different facets of slavery and the nation’s fight to topple it.
