Salamano's Case Study

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After eight years of routine, it can be assumed that the dog has learned and that it is purposely trying to cause his “master” to fall. Once the “old chap misses a step,” Salamano “beats his dog and calls it names.” Salamano is clearly aggressive towards his dog -- the part of himself that he hates. He “beats” his dog after he “misses a step” to assert control. Through violence, Salamano believes that he can correct his dog’s behavior. Their routine has the dog trying to make his master fall which in turn causes Salamano to be abusive. Experiencing this routine for over eight years should be enough to make Salamano realize that his relationship with his dog is unhealthy. In the eight years, Salamano should have used his reason to let the dog…show more content…
Salamano is scared for his dog and states: “‘Don’t you understand, they’ll do away with do away with him; the police I mean. It’s not like anyone will take him in and look after him; with all those scabs he puts everybody off”’ (49). The dog was covered in “scabs” due to a skin infection that it had contracted years ago. Knowing that strangers will not pity his dog due to his appearance, Salamano desperately searches for his dog in the streets and had: “...been to the pound to inquire, but it wasn’t there, and the staff told him it had probably been run over” (56). Once Salamano learns that his dog is “probably” lost forever, he becomes sad and remembers the good things about his dog. His reaction seems inconsistent with his abusive behavior. Salamano’s emotional reaction is to cry and lament his dog’s possible death. The animal that Salamano was willig to beat in public was in reality the most important thing to him. Salamano’s life was dedicated to his god. When Salamano first acquired the dog: “He’d had to feed it from the bootle” and when it contracted its skin disease he: “...tried to cure him; every mortal night after he hot that skin disease [Salamano] rubbed an ointment in” (57,58). Regardless of his violent actions, Salamanoloved his dog. For eight years, Salamano’s only companion was the dog. The two had a routine; the two were each other’s only friend. To Salamano, the dog was irreplaceable. Albert

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