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just thought I'd let you know that I attacked this passage at length here:
Personally I still feel the idea that Bandit is
a) asking himself or Mr Washington whether Mr Washington is morally "good"
OR
b) asking if God is a dog
are, to be polite, a step too far. I just don't think these interpretations are especially plausible or that it's necessary to force them onto this text to make it meaningful. I still feel the exchange, if Bandit's dialogue is "translated" into standard English, runs
"And how are YOU today?"
"I'm good. Are you good too, Mr Washington?"
[saying "I'm good" for "I'm fine" is just an Americanism. I don't see any need to complicate it further... Bandit is saying "yes, I'm very well thank you," not "I'm morally good, are you?" or more absurdly, "I'm God, are you?"]
"My God. It can't escape, can it?"
"Are you good, too?"
[Mr Washington didn't reply to the question. Bandit is confused and waiting for a reply. He's a dog not a philosopher. Look at the way he acts on the penultimate pages, sniffing around and deciding on a simple plan of action: it's dangerous here, we're going home now! These are animals with the mentality of what they are, armoured versions of domestic pets, given some ability to voice their thoughts.]
"This is astonishing. Good dog. GOOD dog."
"Good dog. Is good dog?"
[Bandit has to process what he hears to make sense of it. He repeats, he needs human reassurance. He's echoing back what he heard, then checking "am I a good dog?" He's not asking if he's morally good, or if Washington is morally good -- he's saying "did I do right, am I in favour, will I get a biscuit?" That's what dogs do. Bandit is just a normal dog, placed in an abnormal exoskeleton and controlled by humans when he's at work. He wants a pat on the head; he's not asking if God is a canine like himself. If nobody above was saying such a thing, I apologise, but I got the impression this dialogue was being interpreted this way.]
From the link above:
In the context of Morrison's career, I think it's pretty clear that this is a continuation of the "desentimentalization" of animals which really kicked into high gear with The Filth (which featured a hideous dolphin shrieking "don't patronize me!" and a chimp bound for hell)...
The whole backbone of the Filth was a man's compassion and love for his pet cat. |
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