stickeen

In the Story “Stickeen” by John Muir, he reveals that a man and a dog are not so distinctive from each other. In the beginning Muir comes as this great leader who only has the best intentions for others. He believes that a small and worthless dog will not be able to survive the exploration. However that small and worthless dog proves him wrong and becomes something much more to Muir than just an ordinary dog. Throughout the story we see Muir and stickeen relationship grow. At first Muir only observed and analyzed fine details of stickeen’s appearance. For example he states, “He was a short-legged and bunchy bodied, and his hair though smooth, was long and silky and slightly waved, so that when the wind was at his back it ruffled, making him look shaggy.”(29) He continues by observing his behavior of taking no orders from no one.
However, Stickeen’s behavior changed drastically and brought the two together after a storm battle for life. Stickeen went from an unfriendly dog who showed no emotions, to a dog who was so happy to be alive. Any person who undergoes a near death experiences sees life in a different perspective and I believe that is what happened to Stickeen. From that day he only ate off from Muir’s hand and would rest his chin on his lap during their exploration. Even though it may not seem like it, dogs are actually aware of what is going on. Muir’s story was not only a true adventure story, it was much than that. He revealed that a man and a dog are not so distinctive from each other.