After a joyful reunion with Amanda, Shakie, Croze, and Oates, Ren contemplates if the five of them should have sex or not. She admits, “I thought maybe we should have sex, it would have been a kind and generous thing to do” ( ). Ultimately though, the group does not end up having sex but instead go “to sleep in a pile, on top of one another, like puppies.” ( ) Describing these teenagers and young adults as “puppies” struck me as one of the most innocent descriptions in The Year of the Flood; truthfully, I cannot really imagine a more precious image than a pile of puppies tuckered out, resting on each other. There is not much I would describe as “adorable” or “sweet” in this book, which makes the image of “puppies” stand out even more.
The only other time Atwood uses “puppies” in The Year of the Flood is describing the bond between Amanda and Ren. Ren describes their relationship as being “each other’s family; I guess when we were kids we were both stray puppies” ( ). The group of stray “puppies” initially was only Amanda and Ren. Describing these girls as puppies puts a light of youthfulness on them which isn’t necessarily in the rest of the novel; the …show more content…
Falling asleep in a situation shows a degree of comfort, safety, and security. It is a vulnerable position, and can be costly if danger is afoot. There is significance, then, of this group falling asleep together as innocently as puppies. Describing these five as “puppies” associates them with innocence and youthfulness, two things they have not necessarily had the luxury of enjoying because of the world they grow up in. They are bound to one another, relying on each other. Even in a world being destroyed, it seems better to be together than apart. Ren and Amanda are no longer the only two stray puppies who are bound to be each other’s family—perhaps their family is expanding. Perhaps this is Atwood being
The only other time Atwood uses “puppies” in The Year of the Flood is describing the bond between Amanda and Ren. Ren describes their relationship as being “each other’s family; I guess when we were kids we were both stray puppies” ( ). The group of stray “puppies” initially was only Amanda and Ren. Describing these girls as puppies puts a light of youthfulness on them which isn’t necessarily in the rest of the novel; the …show more content…
Falling asleep in a situation shows a degree of comfort, safety, and security. It is a vulnerable position, and can be costly if danger is afoot. There is significance, then, of this group falling asleep together as innocently as puppies. Describing these five as “puppies” associates them with innocence and youthfulness, two things they have not necessarily had the luxury of enjoying because of the world they grow up in. They are bound to one another, relying on each other. Even in a world being destroyed, it seems better to be together than apart. Ren and Amanda are no longer the only two stray puppies who are bound to be each other’s family—perhaps their family is expanding. Perhaps this is Atwood being