On the Route of a Rabid Dog is one of Atisiri’s incisive stories even closer to reality
which depicts two men: An old man trying to make love to his young wife and an alcoholic
father trying to steal money from his son to buy a drink. The metaphoric implications of “a rabid
dog” are evident; both men are akin to a rabid dog. The metaphor is very subtle and ingenious.
The first character is an old man. He is jealous of his wife’s imagined infidelity. He tries
to make love to her in spite of her pleading that she does not want to. However, the lustful old
man repeatedly tries to make love to his young wife. After his efforts have proven futile, his
wife “Looks into the depth of his eyes. They are staring aimlessly, empty of thought, but filled
with senseless pain-like the eyes of the rabid dog! She thinks of the dog that ran past her on the
laterite road…”(180)
The other man is an alcoholic father who runs after his son trying to get his wife’s money
from him-“Just enough for a little drink”. (181) His craving for the liquor is strong and he loses
control of himself. He is analogous to a rabid dog:
“As he chases his son for the money, saliva begins to dribble from his
mouth, his swollen tongue appearing between his teeth. His breathing
grows louder and he begins emitting low, animal-like cries-like the beast
that has just passed out of sight.”(182)
The story ends with the death of the rabid dog poetically. “The sun drops behind the
mountains-and dig, men and the laterite road-all dissolve into the invisible flow of time.” (182)
Thus the story deals with man’s baser instincts, almost like an animal whether portrayed
in the lust of the old man or the avaricious drunkard who craves for the clear liquid and who is
ready to steal from his own wife and child for the same. The story is incisive, brutal and
startling.
On the Route of a Rabid Dog is one of Atisiri’s incisive stories even closer to realitywhich depicts two men: An old man trying to make love to his young wife and an alcoholicfather trying to steal money from his son to buy a drink. The metaphoric implications of “a rabiddog” are evident; both men are akin to a rabid dog. The metaphor is very subtle and ingenious.The first character is an old man. He is jealous of his wife’s imagined infidelity. He triesto make love to her in spite of her pleading that she does not want to. However, the lustful oldman repeatedly tries to make love to his young wife. After his efforts have proven futile, hiswife “Looks into the depth of his eyes. They are staring aimlessly, empty of thought, but filledwith senseless pain-like the eyes of the rabid dog! She thinks of the dog that ran past her on thelaterite road…”(180)The other man is an alcoholic father who runs after his son trying to get his wife’s moneyfrom him-“Just enough for a little drink”. (181) His craving for the liquor is strong and he losescontrol of himself. He is analogous to a rabid dog:“As he chases his son for the money, saliva begins to dribble from hismouth, his swollen tongue appearing between his teeth. His breathinggrows louder and he begins emitting low, animal-like cries-like the beastthat has just passed out of sight.”(182)The story ends with the death of the rabid dog poetically. “The sun drops behind themountains-and dig, men and the laterite road-all dissolve into the invisible flow of time.” (182)Thus the story deals with man’s baser instincts, almost like an animal whether portrayedin the lust of the old man or the avaricious drunkard who craves for the clear liquid and who isready to steal from his own wife and child for the same. The story is incisive, brutal andstartling.
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