4 Dogs in Literature

Out of all of the different art forms that exist, literature is one of the most incredible. It forces the reader to materialize the context he/she is reading by using their imagination.

One of the greatest characteristics of literature is the fact that any living creature can be a protagonist, including dogs. There have been numerous literary works that have made dogs into unforgettable characters. These are the four most well-known:

Bull’s-eye in Oliver Twist

The United Kingdom is well-known for its writers. Many of them were so renowned that they marked a before and after in the history of literature. This is thanks to their impressive story-telling abilities and the way they got the reader involved in the plot.

One of the most successful at getting the reader involved in the plot was Charles Dickens. His magnificent literary pieces immortalize him in the world of art.

One of his most famous novels is Oliver Twist. In addition to breaking the norms of the times by having a child protagonist, Dickens included an English Bull Terrier named Bull’s Eye that was the antagonist’s — Bill Sikes — dog.

Although dogs are beautiful and innocent animals, the dog in this novel belongs to the protagonist’s enemy that was unconditionally faithful to his evil master, a common trait among dogs, even after his owner dies.

Flush, one of the most well-known dogs in literature

The interesting thing about literature is that there’s an infinite number of resources and ways of telling a story. Not only that, sometimes a unique author that doesn’t follow the norms of time will appear.

This is exactly what happened with the mythical novelist Virginia Woolf and her novel Flush. It’s an imaginary biography of Elizabeth Barrett’s dog, Flush.

This impressive piece of literature describes the life of this beautiful cocker spaniel, his relationship with his owner and the life of all his ancestors.

Fang, Harry Potter

One of the most important literary sagas in recent times has undoubtedly been the books of  Harry Potter. JK Rowling’s writings have reached such a high level of popularity that they have been taken to the big screen.

This work of fantasy has broken the prejudice of this genre being only for children and adolescents. It’s one of the most read books worldwide in the 21st century due to a memorable series of events and characters.

One of these characters is Fang, a Great Dane (a Mastin Napolitano in the film) that belongs to the enormous Hagrid. Not only does this dog accompany him everywhere, but he also fought in the unforgettable battle at Hogwarts.

Argos from The Odyssey

This legendary work had the same impact on the literary world as The Godfather had on the world of cinema. This epic poem by Homer represents one of the most sublime artistic works ever in literature.

A dog named Argos is among the protagonists in this work of art. He is an extremely sad and sensitive dog. However, he shows absolute love and loyalty by recognizing his owner after a lot of time has passed without seeing him.

This is a memorable scene in literature. When Argos sees his master Ulysses after 20 years of waiting for him since he began his journey. 

Of course, there are many other well-known dogs in literature, but these are the most memorable examples.