 |
| Source: http://essm.tamu.edu |
What is a branch contract? Why does this bother Edgar so much?
Why is it so important for Edgar to have his litter show their little game of tag while the Texan was there? What did he learn for sure from the dogs' performance?
Why do you think Trudy tells Edgar to leave? Why doesn't Edgar return when she calls?
Only three dogs leave with Edgar. What is significant about the ones who do make it to the other side of the creek?
61 comments:
Edgar started to treat Almondine coldly after he saw he lying at his enemy’s (Claude’s) feet. Edgar and Almondine used to be the best of friends, doing everything together, but that started to cease when Edgar felt that he was being betrayed by his companion. He felt cheated because he came to realize that Almondine didn’t care who she got affection from, just as long as she was receiving it.
Trudy told Edgar to leave because of the “accident” of Page falling down the stairs to his death. She felt that Edgar would be blamed for the incident due to his bizarre behavior recently. Edgar decided not to come back to the farm when his mother called because he was resentful that she did not hear him out about his suspected interior intentions of Page and Claude. He felt as if Claude was starting to take his place in his mother’s heart, and he did not want to stick around to see it fully happen.
Edgar had the dogs perform his 'trick' while the Texan is there so he can be sure Claude's reaction is sincere. By having both the Texan and Trudy there, Edgar knows he trapped Claude from finding any way out of the situation. By having the dogs hand the syringe to the Texan, it could persuade him from not wanting to invest in the dogs. Edgar also wants Trudy to witness Claude's reaction, and to realize he's not the guy she thinks he is.
Claude continues to slyly enter the Sawtelle’s lives even more than before. Edgar, being the only one who knows Claude’s efforts, (besides Ida Paine) is easily aggravated. He takes this resentment out on Almodine, who is only looking for love and care. Edgar’s emotions overcome him when he witnesses Almodine with Claude, which increases the distance between the lifelong companions. This may signify that Edgar’s efforts to frame Claude are slowly taking him from the people and things he knows best.
Just to be sure of Claude’s reaction, Edgar has the dogs perform the game of tag in front of Mr. Benson and his mother. Edgar knew his father was right because, “when she pressed the blunt tip of Claude’s leg, he flinched as if he’d been stung.”
Earlier in the novel Edgar stated, “Just say it. Say they see everything and they never forget.” The three dogs from Edgar’s litter have a strong trust with him, but I think the three dogs knew what was going on and took it upon themselves to protect Edgar.
I think Edgars feelings were a little hurt after Almodine did nothing for him during the mishap with Claude. He started to treat Almondine with less respect and feeling. He rejected her any attention she may have wanted and gave her the ‘cold shoulder’ you could say. Almondine used to be his companion, who he thought was his best friend. After realizing she didn’t care about his affection as long as she got some, he may have felt confused or unappreciated. They went from being inseparable and doing everything together to feeling betrayed by her. I feel sorry for Edgar, he seems to always put the dogs needs before his own and in this case gets little in return.
Edgar starts treating Almondine completely different than before. He refuses to give her attention after seeing her with Claude. Edgar feels betrayed by Almondine after everything they had been through together. It was important to have his litter show his game of tag so he could prove Claude wasn't who he was. Edgar learned for sure that Claude really isn't the man he is trying to be.
Edgar and Almondine's relationship takes a rocky turn in this chapter. Edgar's feelings towards Claude are so bitter that the sight of his beloved dog laying at Claude's feet as if it were nothing really sets him over the edge. Almondine was the one thing that Edgar thought would always be at his side and understand him. Rationally, he knows Almondine is not betraying him but the situation that has built up causes Edgar to act harshly towards the dog. Even though it is not necessarily anger at Almondine, his feelings are directed and taken out on her.
I believe Trudy tells Edgar to leave because in the back of her mind she knows it was no accident. She saw his anger unleashed and doesn't want to think her son is capable of killing a man, but that doesn't mean other people won't suspect that. By making him run away, the situation is covered up a bit and people really will think he was just in shock and forget the idea that maybe the fall wasn't an accident. In later chapters, Trudy makes a comment that suggests to Edgar she didn't think it was an accident.
Almondine was always by Edgar's side, even when he woke up but in this chapter, he sent her away from him. He was angry at her for siding with the bad guy when she was supposed to be on his side. I believe he was a little hurt that she would do such a thing. Edgar actually trusted her and to him, he felt like Almondine was betraying him. He wouldn't even give her any attention and would leave her behind compared to when he used to take her everywhere with him. Edgar saw Almondine in the room with Claude and lost it. He was so upset with her. In Edgar's mind, he probably thought that Almondine was a traitor to him and his father. He felt that Almondine just wanted anyone's attention and that his wasn't special. He probably felt in a sense that Almondine wasn't just HIS dog anymore, but that he had to share her with Claude also, just like how he was sharing his mother with him.
Edgar and Almondine take a step back in their relationship. After Edgar sees her lying next to Claude he feels very betrayed by her. He starts to become very resentful of her. Even when she tries to be with him he pushes her away because he thinks she took Claude's side.
Edgar had the litter do his game of tag when the Texan is there to make that Texan not want his litter anymore. He doesn't want to give away his dogs and by doing this the Texan thinks that he is crazy. He also does this to see how Claude will react. By doing this Edgar now knows that Claude most likely took part in the murder of him father and I think that is why he doesn't come back after the "accident" that cause Page's death.
Edgar and Almondine are drifting apart due to Almondine not having Edgar’s back when it comes to Claude and Almondine getting closer to Claude is like a crime in Edgar’s eyes. I think a branch contract is what will be signed to sell the kennel to this guy from Texas, Trudy and Claude hope. This bothers Edgar because it means he will never be able to take care of the pups again or be able to raise another litter, after he just learned, too. Edgar wanted the game of tag to happen in front of the Texan because he thought it would show the Texan that he doesn’t want this kennel because the dogs aren’t well trained nor behaved. I think Trudy tells Edgar to leave because he is getting in the way and trying to mess up their opportunity to sell the kennel.
Edgar’s relationship with Almondine takes a large step backwards. Edgar finds Almondine lying next to Claude and enjoying Claude’s company. After seeing this, Edgar decides that Almondine is a trader and that she likes anyone who will give her attention. Edgar chooses to ignore Almondine and not give her the attention like he normally does. Trudy tells Edgar to run because she thinks he could be blamed for Page’s death. However, Edgar does not return when Trudy calls him because he is sick of everything going on at the kennel. He is tired of Claude trying to steal his mother’s heart, Almondine and his mother not taking his side, and Claude and Page’s plan to sell the kennel. The three dogs that make it over the creek with Edgar are the three dogs that are mentally and physically capable of continuing on Edgar’s journey.
In this chapter the relationship of Edgar and Almondine takes a significant step backwards. Edgar gives Almondine the cold shoulder as Almondine has betrayed his trust through friendly association with the enemy.Also, Edgar's angst that is caused by Claude gets redirected upon Almondine. Almondine becomes the scapegoat of Claude, taking the brute of Edgar's frustratious fumings. All in all, the degeneration of Edgar and his dog's relationship is due to the infamous and insidous Claude.
Edgar is enraged when he sees Almondine sitting at Claude's feet. It is like Claude now has all the power because he turned Edgar's closest ally against him. Edgar also has to be hurt by this because Almondine was his best friend and she now is with the enemy. Also, there was a case in the past where Almondine protected Claude from Edgar's hammer. He now treats Almondine differently because of the way the dog has been acting. Yet it is just a poor dog and it does not know any better. By making the dogs play "tag" he uses then to somewhat reenact the murder scene. When the one dog touches the other dog, it plays dead and Claude flinches at the sight of this which just validates that he was the murderer.
I think Trudy tells Edgar to leave for two reasons. I think she thought she told him to leave to protect him. Even if she thought it was an accident Trudy knew that Edgar would still be in trouble with the law. I think deep down she told him to leave because she was angry with him about how he had been acting lately. The final straw for her was the stunt in front of the Texan and when Edgar had slammed the door into Doctor Papineau and killed him, Trudy saw a chance to get rid of him for a while. Trudy was tired of Edgar spending all his time in the kennel and not talking to anyone and she wanted a break. She saw the opportunity to have Edgar leave her life for a short period and she took it.
Edgar and Almondine's begin to separate a bit this chapter. Claude has gotten so far under Edgar's skin that the sight of Almondine laying by Claude infuriates him. Edgar and Almondine have been close from the start and the fact that they don't have the same view of this person makes Edgar very upset. Edgar yells at Almondine and treats her bad because his anger at Claude is being brought forward. While Claude is still there Edgar has the dogs play tag and when one of the dogs gets tagged it plays dead. After one of them dies, Claude flinches. This shows that Claude is uncomfortable with the idea of murder and shows that Claude is in fact the murderer.
Edgar and Almondine start to become more and more distant throughout the chapter. Edgar is irritated and starting to feel hate toward Claude and seeing Almondine laying near him sets him off. Edgar had felt that they were the same person and had the same likes and dislikes and seeing Almondine near Claude makes him doubt all that.
The way Edgar has treated Almondine since his father passed is unacceptable. He became more and more of an introvert, but forgot to care for and show affection to his lifelong companion. Almondine has done so much for Edgar and Edgar is too caught up with everything to show his gratitude and love. It is a shame that he gets mad at Almondine for graciously accepting attention from Claude. When Edgar leaves to live in the woods, he is gone for a long time. When he comes home, Almondine has passed. Unfortunately, I know the pain of putting a dog down that I grew up with and the regrets of taking him for granted while he was here. I can relate to Edgar’s sadness.
In these chapters Edgar is becoming more distant from everyone. Edgar's even blind to the fact of how old Almondine is actually getting. He begins to push her away. In the beginning it was to protect her but then she sees her hanging around Claude. To Edgar he sees Almondine with a murderer and now she's a traitor. So he pushes her more away and becomes mean to her. Later I feel like her doesn't blame her, he knows he's being hard on her. She hasn't done anything wrong, but he can't get past the fact that Claude has gotten into his head. He won't apologize to Almondine until he knows for sure about Claude.
When Trudy tells Edgar to run into the forest and hide, at first I think it's to protect him then i think maybe she just can't handle all this right now. She thinks her son is going crazy. Although I think deep down she knows it was an accident. Maybe she sent Edgar into the woods for an alibi. Maybe she's saying he was gone all night. And then she found Dr. Papineau's body. The last few days she hasn't been on Edgar's side, although Edgar has been distant and acting very strange to an outside person. So I hope she was helping him. I think that's what he needs right now, help.
Edgar’s and Almondine’s relationship in this chapter is going downhill. Edgar is very irritated at the fact that Claude is spending more time with him and Trudy. Edgar sees Almondine walking with Claude and instantly feels betrayed. Edgar and Almondine have a very special connection and Edgar has always felt like she was there for him. And after what happened with his dad and Almondine knowing and spending time with Claude really upsets Edgar. He starts to ignore her and not give her nearly as much attention that she deserves.
Edgar and ALmondine have a falling out! He's very mean and standoffish towards her. He won't interact with her. He's built up such a fierce anger towards Claude that he feels betrayed when anyone else takes a liking to him. He recognizes for a moment that she knows not what she does because she is simply a dog and does not see the fault in Claude that he does. However, he is unable to push past his feelings of anger and betrayal.
Trudy doesn't want Edgar to be blamed for the death of their veterinarian. She wants him to run away so he can be safe and she'll let him know when he can come back, in case they blame him for his death. Edgar doesn't return when they call because his mother told him not to. He also may think that this is exactly what Ida was talking about. This is his chance to escape Claude and all the horrible feelings that come with living there day after day.
Edgar and Almondine's relationship begins to fall apart when Edgar sees her curled up at Claude's feet. Edgar feels betrayed by her that she would so willingly go to lay by the traitor's feet without the slightest of hesitation. He starts to treat her coldly in response, hoping she will see the error in her ways and come back to Edgar as loyal as ever.
Trudy has Edgar leave because of the manner of the death of Page, the veterinarian, by falling down the stairs. With Edgar acting so oddly lately, he could easily be looked at as a main suspect in the case. She worries for him and concludes that if he left, he would be looked at less suspiciously or at all.
Edgar and Almondine are in the middle of a fight during this chapter. Edgar wants to forgive her, but at the same time he is upset and mad about everything else going on. I think Edgar is just really stressed out and it’s hard for him to be kind to anyone, especially Almondine. I understand where Edgar is coming from because coping with death makes you distant from people. After the visit from Mr. Benson, there was an “accident” with Doctor Papineau. Edgar killed him by slamming the door into him. Trudy told Edgar to hide out until the woods until tomorrow. I believe she made him leave so she could make the incident look like an accident by saying he fell down the stairs. She was protecting her son so he wouldn’t be charged with murder.
Edgar and Almondine's relationship goes from loving and caring to resentful. Edgar becomes very angry at Almondine and starts to act harshly towards her. He ignores her, yells at her, and leaves her behind. Edgar acts like this because he believes that Almondine is too friendly towards Claude. He saw her lying by his feet and feels that she has betrayed him. He doesn't understand how Almondine could lay by Claude after the horrible deed he has done. Trudy tells Edgar to leave so that he doesn't get in trouble for what he has done to Doctor Papineau. Trudy loves Edgar and knows he didn't mean to hurt anyone, so she has him run away in order to protect him. Edgar doesn't return because when his mother calls for him she isn't alone.
Edgar is distraught at the sight of Almondine resting at Claude’s feet. It hurts Edgar to see that the one best friend he grew up with doesn’t care how she gets praise or who gives it to her, yet that she gets it at all. It surprises me that Trudy tells Edgar to leave because she knows Edgar could have really meant to kill. I wished that she would have more unconditional love for her mute son (as a character) and would try to understand him more. The kennel is the site of many betrayals in Edgar’s life considering Claude killed his dad and Trudy is split between the two of them.
Edgar wanted his litter to do their tag game to gets Claude’s reaction to the syringe. He knew that when Claude saw it, he would be frightened and know that he had been caught in his lies. He wanted to do it at that time because he wanted his mother and the Texan to see his reaction as well, so that they could all find out who Claude really is.
Trudy tells Edgar to leave because she knows that if he were to stick around, he would get into big trouble. She knew that his anger got the best of him and that he would be blamed for what had happened to Page when he “fell down the stairs”. She decided she would try to make it look like an accident so that Edgar wouldn’t get in trouble with the law.
Edgar becomes angry at Almondine because she was lying perfectly at Claude' s feet. Edgar learns that he ha gotten under Claude's skin for sure. I think that the dogs who make it across the creek are the most strong-willed.
In this chapter, Edgar and Almondine's relationship really starts to crumble. They have been extremely close since Edgar was born and when he sees her laying at Claude's feet, he feels betrayed. Almondine is just a dog that wants attention from anyone, but Edgar is infuriated and hurt that she would be loyal to anyone but him. She desperately wanted his attention but finally gave up.
Edgar puts on a show with the Texan watching for a couple of reasons. First, he wants to see Claude's reaction to the replica of Gar's murder. He is hoping his mom and the Texan will also see his reaction and realize he murdered Gar. Secondly, he wants to scare off the Texan from signing the branch contract by making the dogs seem like they're not well trained.
Edgar feels like he has been betrayed by Almondine after he sees her with Claude. To Edgar Almondine is the only thing on earth that understands him completely and when he feels like she betrayed him then he not only loses her but part of himself too.
Edgar had the dogs perform the 'trick' when the Texan is there so he knows that Claude's reaction will be sincere unlike when Claude is all kind and sweet to Edgar. By having both the Texan and Trudy as witnesses, Edgar trapped Claude from finding a way out of the situation. Edgar wants Trudy to witness Claude's reaction, and to learn he's not the guy she thinks he is.
Edgar feels like Almondine betrayed him because she spent time with Claude. He felt like she was loyal to him, but seeing her with Claude, his enemy, made him question this. Edgar has his litter do the tag trick to try and convince the Texan not to buy his litter, but more to see Claude's reaction. Since Trudy and the Texan were there, Claude couldn't just leave, giving Edgar the perfect time to see his reaction and hint at the fact that he knows what is going on.
Edgar and Almondine begin to become distant in this chapter. Claude has gotten so far under Edgar's skin that the sight of Almondine laying by Claude makes him angry. Edgar and Almondine have been so close from the beginning that their separate viewpoints begin cause a trench to form between them.. Edgar yells at Almondine and treats her bad because his anger at Claude is being brought forward. While Claude is still there Edgar has the dogs play tag and when one of the dogs gets tagged it plays dead. After one of them dies, Claude flinches. This shows that Claude gets nervous around death and specifically shows that Claude is in fact the murderer.
A branch contract is when parts of a business are sold off in order for more money to be made. Edgar does not like this plan because it causes the Sawtelle breed to not be as great since the “best” dogs are not being bred.
The game of tag was a test to see if Claude really was the murderer of Edgar’s father. The game proves for sure that Claude did kill Edgar’s father due to Claude’s reaction to the syringe in the dog’s mouth. Trudy tells Edgar to leave because she fears that he will be blamed for Dr. Papineau’s death and because she sees Edgar is misbehaving. Edgar doesn’t come back when his mother calls him because he is fearful that Claude will retaliate.
The step in Edgar and Almondine's relationship in this chapter is actually a "step down". Edgar treats Almondine differently. I do not want to say "Badly" because it is not like he was being fierce toward her. Edgar was merely angry at the fact that Almondine accept the affection Claude gave her. Claude is essentially Edgar's enemy and could not believe she would lay at his feet. Edgar is overreacting due to the anger inside him over his father's possible death due to Claude.
Edgar wanted to play the tag game with the dogs while the Texan was there so that the Texan would not buy his dogs. Edgar loves is dogs. But, the secret reason Edgar had or doing the tag game was to see how Clause would react with Trudy there. By doing this, he for sure learned that Claude did in fact kill his father.
In this chapter Edgar starts to ignore Almondine because she was with the enemy. She was acting like Claude was a good guy even though she should know that he's not. It's the first time that Edgar has ever treated Almondine with anything less than love and he's starting to feel the guilt from it.
It's important for the litter to do their show because he needs to know for sure if Claude is the murderer. It was also an ideal time since Claude wouldn't be suspicious and Trudy asked for a show. Edgar for sure knows that Claude did kill Gar and the syringe belonged to him.
Edgar has to leave because he pushed the doctor down the stairs in the mow and killed him. She told him to go because she knew it wasn't an accident. He doesn't return when Trudy calls him because she told him not to, just to wait till she showed behind the silo.
Edgar starts to treat Almondine very coldly in this chapter because he sees her lying at the feet of Claude, his ultimate enemy right now. He feels as though his mother has betrayed him by being with Claude and now Almondine has betrayed him as well.
I think that Trudy tells Edgar to leave because after the doctor's death she knew that Edgar would be a suspect because of his strange behavior earlier in the day.
Throughout the book, one of the most detailed relationships is between Edgar and Almondine; however, with Claude on the scene things begin to change rapidly: Trudy's attitude, the kennel, and the bond with Almondine. Trudy is one of the first signs, the kiss with Claude in the kitchen, to Edgar that things are changing, and this sets the fuse of Edgar's anger. Claude taking over Gar's old duties is the midway point of the fuse, and Almondine simply keeping Claude company is the explosion of Edgar's anger. The relationship between Edgar and Almondine suffers greatly because of the anger and betrayal Edgar has bottled up, and unfortunately Almondine is the recipient.
The game of tag between Edgar's litter, when first introduced, seemed like a game, but then Edgar had a lightbulb as he started to analyze it. Edgar became suspicious of his Uncle Claude when he found the syringe in the workroom filled with an odd liquid, when put on the grass it turned it pure white and the dandelion that grew followed suit. When Edgar showed off his litter to the Texan an idea sprung forth on how to prove to himself that Claude really murdered his father. Edgar had the dogs use syringes as their items instead, and the look on Claude's face told Edgar all he needed to know to prove to himself that Claude was his father's murderer.
Edgar's and Almondine's relationship takes a turn for the worst in this chapter. After Edgar witnesses Almondine lying at Claude's feet, he becomes very upset as he cannot believe that after all he and Almondine have been through together, she would even be associated with Claude. he begins to not pay as much attention to her and not be as affectionate as before. I think he is very frustrated because he not only feels as though Claude is taking his place with his mother, but also with his beloved dog, and thus takes out his anger on Almondine.
Almondine and Edgar's relationship took a step back when Edgar saw her laying near Claude. Edgar felt extremely betrayed by this. However, he keeps telling himself that it's not her fault and she only wants attention. Even though Edgar tells himself that, he still feels betrayed and doesn't want Almondine around him at all. He even shakes her.
I think Trudy tells Edgar to leave because after Doctor Papineau died, Edgar would be a suspect. I'd assume Claude would make sure Edgar would be arrested because of what Edgar knows about the syringe.
Edgar is a very lonely person and Almondine was the closest to him. They were companions and he always put her first. After seeing Almondine around Claude he felt betrayed. His attitude toward Almondine did a complete turn. He ignored her; he gave her absolutely no attention. I felt really bad for Edgar because he feels as though he has lost his best friend. I also feel bad for Almondine because as a dog she doesn't understand that being pet by someone else she has betrayed Edgar.
The significant step is a huge step backward in Edgar and Almondine's relationship. Edgar has been close to Almondine since his earliest memories, but he begins to resent her when he finds here laying down with Claude. Despite the fact that Edgar knows that Almondine doesn't know any the situation between him and Claude, he still feels detached from her. Throughout the chapter, Edgar is unremorsefully rude and distant from her.
Edgar had been waiting for quite a while to show off his game of tag. As the book explains, he does things for reasons that he tells no one else, and this game of tag has become one of those things. Edgar planned on putting on this show for a long time, but his introspective mind never shared it with the reader. Edgar wanted to show the game to the Texan because he knew Claude would watch. Based on Claude's reaction, Edgar could gauge how much he knew about the syringe. Claude became visibly flustered, which lead Edgar to further believe that he was his father's murderer.
Edgar and Almondine's relationship takes several steps back. When Edgar finds that Almondine enjoys Claude's company he is very taken back and hurt by this. Edgar feels as though Almondine is a trader and doesn't want anything to do with her after she gets so much attention from Claude. Now that Claude is Edgar's enemy Edgar feels betrayed by Almondine.
Edgar puts on a show for the Texan to get a reaction out of Claude. Edgar hopes that Claude will show Trudy and the Texan that he murdered Gar from his reaction to Edgar's show.
The significant step that Edgar and Almondines relationship takes is a step apart. She is no longer with him every second of the day. Edgar states in the beginning of the chapter that he has never woken up and not had Almondine waiting for him. Edgar shuts Almondine out because he is upset that Almondine trusts Claude. He is angry that she could take to Claude so easily and as if he wasn't slowly replacing Gar. Edgar knows that Almondine doesn't understand everything that is going on but still feels betrayed by her. Edgar also feels like Almondine is around Claude more than him. He is showing signs of jealousy over Almondine and Claude spending time together. At the end of the chapter Edgar still wished he could go back to get Almondine showing he still care for her.
Edgar gets upset that Almondine was laying at Claude's feet. He considers Claude to be his enemy and he feels like Almondine was being a sort of trader. He also felt unimportant because Almondine, being a dog, doesn't care who give her the attention, whether it be Edgar or Claude.
With everything going on in Edgar's life, seeing Almondine lying at Claude's feet pushes him over the edge. To Edgar it is like she is with the enemy now, and gets mad at her. Edgar remembers Claude saying "You can get anything you want in this world if you're willing to go slow enough." (318) Edgar realizes that Claude is taking over the farm and this was his plan all along. He has the dogs play their game of tag with syringes and when Tinder lays one at Claude's feet, he is enraged. Edgar now knows for sure that Claude killed his father and is proving to Claude that he is not afraid.
Edgar sees Almondine lying at Claude's feet and sort of sees her as being a traitor. A man from Texas, Mr. Benson, comes to buy two Sawtelle dogs and everyone puts on a show to impress him. When Mr. Benson is talking with everyone, he mentions a branch contract and Edgar finds out his mother is keeping secrets from him and he becomes furious. When Edgar bring his litter come out, he has them perform his tag game and has one of his dogs lay a syringe at Claudes feet to show him that Edgar knows what he has done to his father, and he is not scared
It's so important to Edgar that everyone sees what he's taught his dogs because he wants everyone to see what Claude has done to his father. When the game is conducted perfectly and he sees Claude's reaction, he knows that Claude knows he found out what happened. He didn't think his mother would know what it meant, but she would know that something wasn't right. Edgar wants to show the Texan that Claude isn't a good person and that he doesn't train the dogs at all.
During this chapter Edgar and Almondine's relationship takes a turn for the worst. All his life Edgar has had Almondine by his side and she has never disappointed him. Until now that is. Edgar saw Almondine laying at Claude's feet getting attention from him. Edgar feels betrayed by his best friend. He then starts acting harsh and short with her, telling her to stay behind and to leave him alone. I can see where Edgar is coming from but I think he is being a tad harsh.
I think Trudy told Edgar to leave because she did not want him being blamed for Dr. Papineau's death. She knew if Claude was that angry at him he would try to get Edgar arrested so no one would know his dark secret. Edgar doesn't return when called because Trudy told him not to come even if he was called, just to come when he saw her standing by the silo, alone, at night. "Even if we call, stay away", (326). This quote explains why he didn't come when called, she instructed him not to.
Like many others, I too noticed that popcorn doesn't have corners. It just pops into a unique shape with unusual edges. And just as popcorn pops suddenly and is unique and asymmetrical, popcorn corners just built up quickly and stores and buildings were thrown in just to give people a place to get what they need.
Edgar feels that Almondine has betrayed him because Almondine enjoys having Claude around. Edgar wonders how Almondine, a near extension of Edgar, could accept Claude, Edgar's betrothed enemy, after spending so many years together. With Edgar's father gone and Trudy fallen into Claude's control, Almondine was the only thing left that Edgar could trust. And after Almondine seemed to fall into Claude's control, Edgar felt he had lost everything.
The game of tag that Edgar put on for the Texan was Edgar's way to test if Claude really killed his brother, Edgar's father. The Texan had nothing to do with the plan. He was only an excuse to preform the test and based on Claude's reaction from the syringe, Edgar concluded that Claude had killed Gar.
Edgar and Almondine begin to grow distant once he sees her with Claude. I think he wonders if she just likes the attention and doens't care who it is from. Edgar and Almondine were close and connected to one another and now he is doubting all of that. I think it's important because Claude is like Edgar's enemy and he has harsh feelings towards him. Seeing someone he loves with a person he hates makes him angry which triggers the cold emotions towards Almondine.
Edgar feels like Almondine betrayed him. Even though he knows better, because she is a dog, she has taken to him similar to the way she took to Gar. Maybe she misses Gar too, and Claude was somewhat a replacement in Almondine's eyes. All throughout the chapter, Edgar is indifferent towards Almondine, especially when talk of the branch contract comes up.
Edgar and Almondine in this chapter get more and more distant, and it's mainly Edgar's fault. Edgar kind of forgets to care for Almondine and casts her aside because of the death of his father, but Almondine has been there for him all along and it is sad to see that Edgar has become so indifferent towards her. Almondine see's that she is being neglected so when Claude shows her some affection she goes to him, and in turn this sends Edgar over the edge. The whole situation is very bitter sweet, when he left and didn't bring Almondine he didn't know she wouldn't be waiting for him when he got back.
Edgar is feeling betrayed by Almondine. He feels like his mother left him for Claude and now his best friend is leaving too because she was lying lazily at his feet. When Edgar describes the little scene of Almondine and Claude standing in the doorway, it is clear that he refuses to accept Claude as being part of his normalcy. Edgar later demonstrates his tag game in front of the Texan in order to unleash Claude's guilt and disrupt his composure when he sees the syringe. The look on his face proves it to Edgar that Claude is a murderer; he keeps signing to his mother "did you see the look on his face?" after the scheme.
Edgar and Almondine are starting to grow apart. Edgar is enraged that Almondine was sitting at the feet of Claude. At this point he hates Claude. He feels like even the closest thing to him was being taken over by Claude. He pushes Almondine away and feels betrayed by her. It's not necessarily her fault because she just wanted attention.
I think Trudy tells Edgar to leave because she didn't want Edgar to get in trouble. She wanted to make it look like the doctor fell down the stairs and make it an accident.
Throughout the novel Edgar and Almondine are inseparable, however, in this chapter it takes a turn in the wrong direction. One day Edgar walked in to find Almondine laying at Claude's feet. Because of his hateful feelings toward Claude, he feels betrayed by Almondine. Edgar realizes all she wants is attention; she doesn't mind who it comes from. All of his resentment and anger toward Claude is taken out on Almondine. Edgar is just rude to his dog now because of a simple thing she did.
I believe Trudy tells Edgar to leave because she doesn't want him to get in trouble for the death of Doctor Papineau. I think she is staging his death as an accident and wants to call Edgar back later on to make it look nonchalant. I think Edgar doesn't come back because he is afraid to face reality that he murdered someone. Also, he doesn't want to face his mother again or Claude. He is sick of being around them and he wants to be free from all of them.
Edgar feels that Almondine is replacing Gar with Claude in a way. Edgar is upset that Almondine let Claude gain her trust so quickly, especially because Claude is an enemy to Edgar. Edgar feels betrayed and is still busy grieving his father's death and starts pushing Almondine away, which causes her to go to Claude for the attention and affection that she desires. Edgar states that he has never woken up without Almondine waiting for him and it is becoming clear that their relationship is drifting.
Edgar starts to ignore Almodine and be mean to her. He sees her lying by Claude and he feels betrayed. Edgar realized Almodine didn't care who gave her attention, as long as she got some. I believe Edgar was being a little over dramatic, and I felt bad for Almondine. He had never done this to her before. They had been best friends all their life.
Edgar is so bothered by the branch contract because he didn't know about it. His mother was keeping secrets from him.
Edgar becomes disgusted with the sight of Almondine after coming home one evening to find her sitting by Claude, looking for affection from him. He tells her to stay or to go away multiple times, but Almondine almost relentlessly follows from a safe distance while Edgar does his chores. The game of "tag" that Edgar taught his litter was important in conveying his message to Claude and Trudy. Edgar doesn't know anything for sure, but when Claude flinched and stormed off, it definitely showed something. Trudy tells Edgar to leave because he had killed a police officer's father and running was his only choice. Trudy told Edgar not to return if she called; he could only come back if she was standing behind the silo in the evening. The significance of the three remaining dogs staying with Edgar, I think, is that it shows John Sawtelle's goal has been reached; he has bred dogs who think on their own. It would have made sense for any dog to retreat back to the warmth and safety of their home, but Tinder, Finch, and Essay made the decision to stay and protect Edgar.
I think Trudy told Edgar to leave because of where Page had died. It’s the same place Gar died months earlier, with Edgar in the same building, so the law enforcement might have some suspicions about how both of them died. Or maybe Trudy is afraid that with Edgar’s sporadic behavior lately, he might have thought Page was his father and might have done something strange to show him to Trudy.
Baboo, Essay, and Tinder are the only three dogs that make it across the creek with Edgar. What’s most significant about these dogs coming over is what all their names stand for and signify in the story. There’s Baboo, who is the exact definition of loyalty and respect, and he stays with Edgar, keeping to his name. Essay attempts to stay with Edgar and succeeds in the process. And Tinder, though it’s hard to decipher the significance of her presence, I think she’s meant to foreshadow something imminent and dangerous, as tinder tends to help something burn.
Edgar feels betrayed because Almondine is accepting attention from Claude. This is a dog we are talking about though, they will accept attention from anyone they can get it from. Edgar's behavior is his own fault and should not be blamed on Almondine. Edgar is curious about the branch contract because he doesn't know what it is; he is scared it could have something to do with selling some things on the farm or have some negative effect. The tag game was important for Edgar because Edgar wanted to scare Claude while also trying to get rid of the Texan at the same time. Trudy tells Edgar to leave because there was an accident that involved Dr. Papineau and it could be pinned on Edgar or at least show he was somehow involved. Edgar doesn't return when Trudy calls because she told him not to return. The creek could resemble a test, for each dog to prove if it was worthy and capable of protecting Edgar.
The relastionship between Almodine and Edgar tke a turn in this chapter. Once Edgar saw Almodine laying at Claude's feet he had felt betrayed by his best friend. Edgar had told Almodine about how much he hated Claude and he was very upset and felt as if Almodine had taken Claude's side. I feel as if Edgar feels anger and sorrow because he had just lost another thing he had loved and cared for all to himself to the enemy, Claude.
Edgar has reached his boiling point. His relationship with Almondine is being destroyed by his hate for Claude. She barely knows what she's doing. Almondine's smart, sure, but if there's a nice comfy spot to lie down and someone to be nice to her, she's going to take that opportunity. Edgar handles Almondine roughly, possibly hurting her. She's known Edgar literally since he was born. She's been with him all his life, watching him. To have him treat her like this must be crushing in some way to her.
Post a Comment