Poisoned+Dog

Poisoned Dog (pg. 176)
//Emily, Abhinav, Adrian//
 * Dog is introduced as a dirty and old animal belonging to a clean woman
 * Soaphead is annoyed by the dog because it constantly reminds him of "frailty and old age." The dog may also remind him of his true uncleanliness, despite his claims. As a result, Soaphead wishes to rid himself of these reminders.
 * The Dog also might be an observer of what he does, and Soaphead clearly tries to isolate himself from society. Getting rid of the dog is probably one part of the process.
 * Emphasizes Soaphead's claim of power as he is shown to be able to end life when he causes Pecola to kill the dog. By granting Pecola her blue eyes through the death of the dog, Soaphead suggests that he can not only end life, but he can create beauty.
 * Making Pecola kill the dog suggests Soaphead believes killing is unclean and thus does not want to be responsible (as a man of God), or characterizes him as fearful and weak
 * The dog really brings out his misanthropic behavior because he can't even relate to an //animal//, and is disgusted by it.