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The dog

The dog, the only other character seen in the story besides the protagonist, presents a strong contrast in both perspective and ability to survive. Throughout the story, the dog is described as being in tune with the natural environment. Even though it is protected by the fur the man envies at times, it still knows that the cold is too extreme for travel and hopes that the man will create a fire and shelter. The dog also relies on natural instinct to realize when the man is acting oddly, signaling his intent to kill it. It moves away until the man behaves more normally. The relationship between the dog and the man does not allow the man to take advantage of the dog’s instincts. The story depicts the man being cruel to the dog and defines their relationship in such terms as “one was the slave of the other.” The man talks to the dog with “the sound of the whip in his voice.” This cruel relationship not only reveals the man’s character, but also exemplifies his distance from nature. Not only is he an alien in the Yukon setting, he can’t even connect with nature in the form of his dog. In the end, when nature has defeated the man, the dog briefly takes over as the protagonist of the story. More connected to nature and its natural instincts, it survives and sets out to complete the man’s journey.

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