I Am the Dog
Daniel Manus Pinkwater’s I Am the Dog tells the story of Jacob, a boy, and his dog Max. One day they decide to change places. Jacob eats from a bowl on the floor while Max eats at the table with the family. Jacob runs around the yard while Max goes to school. Max does homework while Jacob snoozes on the floor. The next day, Jacob returns to being a boy and Max to being a dog. “That’s how things are supposed to be.” But, Jacob notes, they both learned that “being a dog is better.”
What makes a boy a boy? A dog a dog? Can a person change places with a dog? Is it better to be a dog than a human being? Do dogs eat off the floor and run around the yard because that is their nature? Can this be changed? Does it seem strange for a human to eat off the floor and run around the yard, and, if so, why?
