Sheep

These chapters represent the darkest part of Jack’s life and highlight The Motivational Power of Fear, as Jack experiences true hunger and exhaustion for the first time and experiences the depths of human indifference and cruelty; these hardships irrevocably change his view the world. Up until this point, he trusted humans to provide him with what he needs, even if his circumstances were not entirely ideal, as during his time in the girl’s care. However, when he finds himself at the mercy of the thieves, Jack learns that life is not always easy and that humans are not always trustworthy. Upon learning this, Jack truly starts to grow up, and this hard-won knowledge combines with the philosophical lessons of the Goat Man to round out Jack’s understanding of the world.

During his brief time with the thieves in Chapters 5 and 6, Jack gains a new appreciation for his previous experiences with the little girl and the Goat Man; at the time, he was discontented with both homes, but once he experiences life with these morally questionable men, he views his former homes in a better light, and this shift demonstrates the fact that all experiences are relative. At this point in his journey, Jack has temporarily given up on The Search for Identity and Purpose, and his only focus is to stay alive and healthy; he is therefore less concerned with understanding how these goals are achieved. Like the little girl in Chapter 2, these men use Jack, but whereas the girl did so in a harmless way, the men use Jack to steal, demonstrating the fact that some humans exploit animals for personal gain. When the men deliberately abandon Jack, this betrayal forces the dog to adopt a more cautious mindset. The scene also catapults Jack into an unpredictable world that forces him to react to his circumstances rather than actively choosing his next steps, and his utter loss of agency is further emphasized when he is sent to the pound and must wait and hope that a kind human, not a cruel one, will adopt him.

Jack’s short time in the pound leaves him feeling eager to be adopted so that he can continue his journey toward his destiny. In this context, the fact that he is adopted by the cruel and abusive Billy symbolizes the idea that achieving a much-anticipated goal does not always result in a desirable outcome. When Jack initially feels unsettled by Billy, this internal sense of unease foreshadows the cruelty to come, and he soon realizes that he has merely traded one prison for another. When Billy names Jack after the last dog he killed, this detail foreshadows the brutal beating that Jack later endures in Chapter 9. Faced with the brutality of this exploitative and uncaring human, Jack admits that he has lost his purpose, and it is clear that The Motivational Power of Fear is now his chief driving force. Like the thieves near the train, Billy exploits Jack, but he takes his abuse to a violent level that breaks the dog both physically and spiritually.

Like the mythical phoenix, Jack will eventually be reborn in the flames of the circus’s demise, but he must first heal his body and mind, and his slow, painful recovery emphasizes the ways in which deep trauma can delay and derail a person’s broader purpose and life journey. After Billy beats him, Jack stops dreaming of the sheep for a time because he can no longer imagine a life of herding, and his loss of hope symbolizes the emotional toll that physical abuse takes on the body and mind. Significantly, the other animals that Jack befriends at the circus play a vital role in his recovery. Despite the abominable conditions at the circus, Jack’s love for Tiffany highlights one of The Intangible Aspects of Home, and the affections he finds with his companions represent the only “homelike” aspect of this particular setting. However, given the inherent dangers and cruelties of the circus, the mere love of his companions is not enough to make this place a viable home. Thus, although the sense of community helps Jack through his pain and humiliation, he ultimately rebels against Billy’s cruel attempts to transform him into something that he cannot be. Jack’s defiance and his steadfast determination to hold onto his identity foreshadow his successful escape and continued search for a better life.

The fire in Chapter 9 contains thematic echoes of the fire in Chapter 1, for both incidents illustrate The Motivational Power of Fear in charting the course of a life. In Chapter 1, Jack shows his bravery by continuing to herd the sheep even as the flames bear down upon him. In Chapter 9, however, the fire at the circus is not a purely destructive force, as it also provides Jack with an opportunity to escape and start his life anew. As he does so, the other animals’ decision to simply return to their places illustrates that they are bound by chains of love and fear alike. Thus, this moment stands as a turning point for Jack. He can either choose to stay and keep the community he has found, even if it is under negative circumstances, or he can move forward and rekindle his search for his destiny and purpose. Choosing the latter means leaving Tiffany and the others behind, but Jack again realizes that he has to be true to himself. Tiffany’s parting words show that she understands this and that she is putting her own hopes in Jack. Tiffany stays at the circus because the others need her, but she sends part of herself with Jack in a symbolic gesture of every being’s right to find a place in which they truly belong.