How to Steal a Dog

“If there was ever a time I wished the earth would open and swallow me whole, it was when I turned around and saw Luanne looking at me and Toby and that car and all. I could see her thoughts just plain as day right on her face.”

This passage shows the instrumental role that Luanne and her judgment play in Georgina’s decision to steal a dog. For Georgina, seeing her predicament through Luanne’s eyes is almost worse than the predicament itself, as O’Connor shows the role of social snobbery in exacerbating the pain of poverty. Although Georgina cannot be exactly sure what Luanne is thinking, she projects her own negative thoughts about someone living in a car onto the situation.

“Mama said five hundred dollars is enough to get a place to live. If we steal a dog, we can get five hundred dollars, see.”

Georgina explains the rationale behind her dog-stealing plan to Toby. She repeats the amount of $500 to emphasize the connection between the reward money for returning the stolen dog and their ability to get a place to live. Although Georgina trusts her mother’s authority in calculating the amount they need to change their situation, she does not trust that her mother is capable of obtaining the money herself.

“Mrs. Godfrey doesn’t like me one little bit. She pinches her face up real hateful-like when I go over there. One time I saw her wiping off Luanne’s bedroom door with a sponge right where I had touched it. Like I had left my cooties there to infect her family.”

This passage alerts readers to the social snobbery that causes middle-class Mrs. Godfrey to look down on Georgina who comes from a poorer family. In the details of Mrs. Godfrey’s hateful expression and her scrubbing of Georgina’s imprint with a sponge, O’Connor shows that Georgina is aware of this animosity towards her. In using the word “cooties” Georgina senses that Mrs. Godfrey objects to some condition she has, rather than to something she has done.

“I put my hand on my racing heart and laid my head against the seat. I was starting to wonder if I really could steal a dog. I’d never stolen anything in my whole life. Luanne did one time […] but not me. How in the world was I going to steal that dog?”

This passage alerts readers to Georgina’s awareness that stealing is wrong. She has an instinctive physiological response against it. The challenge for Georgina is to get past this taboo and be braver than her candy-stealing friend.

“I watched Luanne and Liza Thomas walking to the bus after school, their matching blond ponytails swinging from side to side. They carried their ballet slippers in their Darby Dance School tote bags.”

To Georgina, her former best friend Luanne and Luanne’s new friend Liza Thomas seem like the picture of privilege. The image of matching blond ponytails swinging gives an impression of ease and control, expressing that Georgina sees Liza as a more fitting friend for Luanne. The girls attend ballet class, a pastime synonymous with middle-class girlhood, while the named tote bags of the dance school indicate a sense of belonging that Georgina is excluded from. Overall, this description shows how Georgina perceives that Luanne is a world apart from her.

“In one corner, rain had leaked in and left a dark spot. I narrowed my eyes, and that dark spot looked just like Willy. His ears and his eyes and even his whiskers. That morning, I had pushed him right out of my mind and now here he was back again, all because of this awful old house.”

The idea that the leak on a ceiling looks like Willy indicates that he and the plan to steal him are present in Georgina’s subconscious. With the promise of new accommodations, she was able to temporarily back off from the plan. Now, with hopes for a new home dashed and with Willy’s form on the ceiling, the plan becomes vivid again and takes center stage in her mind.

“I studied myself in the mirror of the bathroom at McDonald’s. My hair hung in greasy clumps on my forehead. Creases from the crumpled-up clothes I had slept in were still etched in the side of my face. I rubbed my hands together under the water and ran my wet fingers through my hair. Then I used paper towels to scrub my face and arms. The rough brown paper left my skin red and scratched.”

This passage, detailing how Georgina washes and grooms herself now that she is homeless, gives an impression of the extent of her hardship. She can only use the most rudimentary materials, such as abrasive paper towels and water, to wash herself. The image of Georgina’s red, scratched skin is a metaphor for her irritation with a situation that has gone on too long.

“Mothers are supposed to take care of their kids […] Not let them sleep in creepy old houses and wash up in the bathroom at McDonald’s.”

Georgina accuses her mother of not fulfilling her responsibilities as a caretaker, blaming her for their situation. Although Georgina rationally knows that their poverty is her father’s fault, she cannot let go of the disillusionment she feels with her mother, the adult who is supposed to protect her from harm. This contributes to her taking matters into her own hands.

“I pulled out my purple notebook and read through all my dog-stealing notes. I put a little checkmark beside the things I had already done. When I got to the part about finding a place to hide the dog, I thumped my pencil against my knee and thought real hard.”

This passage, describing how Georgina turns to her notebook when she is at an impasse, indicates her desire for control. She makes a list and takes satisfaction in completing it. The gesture of thumping her pencil against her knee to find a solution indicates that she thinks that stealing a dog like is a puzzle to be solved. Georgina no longer thinks about the moral implications involved.

“But Mama wouldn’t even answer me. She counted out some coins, slapped them on the table, and headed out to the car, leaving me and Toby to scramble after her.”

This passage shows Georgina’s mother snapping. She becomes so annoyed with her children that she enters into a transactional relationship with them. The use of the verb “scramble” indicates the children’s confusion with regard to their mother’s mood and the sense that they are out of their depth with this situation.

“My heart was pounding so hard all I could hear was the thump, thump, thump in my ears. I knew I had to keep myself moving or else I was liable to start thinking. And if I started thinking, I was liable to think I shouldn’t be doing this. So I turned my mind to ‘off’ and grabbed Willy’s collar.”

Georgina’s guilt about stealing Willy sets in from the moment she takes him. O’Connor’s onomatopoeic description of Georgina’s thumping heart creates a visceral impression of her panic. She has to keep moving to override her fear and surpass her conscience to get the job done.

“I was starting to think how I wished I could go back in time to the hour before or the day before or the week before. But I knew I couldn’t do that. I was there behind that awful old house with that cute little dog looking at me, and I knew it was up to me to make everything turn out good like I had planned.”

The repetition of “before” indicates Georgina’s profound desire to go back in time to before she stole the dog. However, the sight of the dog by the porch of the old house, the location she planned for it, makes her think she has come too far to go back. It is almost a matter of pride for her now to ensure that everything works out according to her plan. Arguably, if her plan works, she will have a greater sense of control over her life.

“Luanne didn’t hardly even talk to me all day. I was wearing the same clothes I had on yesterday, and I thought I saw her make a face when I walked into class that morning. I thought I saw Liza poke her at recess and point at me. I thought I heard my name every time I walked by kids giggling and whispering and all.”

Here, Georgina describes the phenomenon of her social exclusion. She is acutely aware of the stigma of wearing the same clothes two days in a row and imagines that she sees her classmates’ disapproval, etched on their facial expressions and in their whispers and giggles. She feels that her poverty has made her conspicuous and out of sorts with her peers. She sees them as being against her, rather than people who could support her in her difficulties.

“I found myself doing stuff I never would have done before we started living in a car. Stuff that I knew make kids poke each other and laugh at me. Like, I took Melissa Gavin’s half-eaten granola bar out of the trash and put it in Willy’s food bag. And when Jake Samson called me a garbage picker, I just kept my mouth shut and went on back to my desk like I didn’t care.”

While Georgina has lost all sense of belonging among her classmates, she finds a sense of purpose in the dog-napping mission and in taking care of Willy. She tunes out the bullying and social exclusion by reframing matters in relation to Willy. Thus, taking a granola bar from the trash is transformed from the act of a social pariah to one of a master plotter. In a manner that is uncharacteristic of someone her age, she turns away from her peers and begins to rely upon herself.

“I pressed my face closer to the screen to make sure I was seeing right. I was. The inside of that house wasn’t one little bit like I’d imagined it would be […] what I saw when I peered through that door was a dark and dreary room filled to bursting with all kinds of junky stuff. Piles of newspapers and clothes, boxes and dishes. No chandeliers. No fancy furniture.”

Georgina’s surprise that Carmella’s house is nothing like the lavish mansion she imagined is an early warning sign that things do not always go as planned. Without much supporting evidence, Georgina has stitched up a story about Carmella’s wealth that best suits her. Instead, the drab, messy interior reflects Carmella’s impoverished lifestyle while acting as a metaphor for the disorder inherent in Georgina’s plan. O’Connor alerts us that events will take a turn that Georgina is unprepared for.

“Mama looked at him and smiled that real sweet smile like she always seems to have for him but never for me.”

Georgina’s awareness that her mother has a special smile for her more affectionate, easy-going brother indicates her loneliness. This loneliness emerges even within her own family. This, coupled with her isolation at school, makes Georgina think she has to look out for her own good, rather than collaborating with others.

“With every word that came out of my mouth, I felt like I was digging myself into a hole, and if I didn’t stop, I was going to be so far in I wouldn’t ever climb out.”

The simile of digging oneself into a hole indicates Georgina’s sensation that she has lost control over events. While the act of dog-stealing has been committed, Georgina’s efforts to remedy the situation only make things worse. Georgina fears that she will never emerge from the mess she has created.

“Sometimes people need stuff done more than I need money.”

Mookie introduces Georgina to the radical idea that sometimes being of service to others is more important than getting paid for your effort, even when you are in dire financial straits. In contrast to Georgina’s selfish wish to save herself and her family, Mookie posits that it is more valuable to help others first. He acts on this promise, when despite having little money and resources, his fixes Georgina’s mother’s car for free, saving her a mechanic’s fee.

“There was Mookie, pedaling along the side of the road on that rusty ole bike of his, the little American flag waving in the breeze. ‘I’ve seen that man all over town,’ Patsy said. ‘He sure does look happy, don’t he?’”

Although Mookie’s bike is old and rusty, the dynamic image of him pedaling over town, accompanied by a flapping American flag, indicates that he is far from defeated. Unlike the rest of the world, Mookie derives happiness outside of material possessions. Patsy’s recognition of his happiness indicates that it is genuine and infectious.

“I stared up at the stained ceiling tiles of the school nurse’s office, trying to make my stomach settle down. For once, I hadn’t lied to Mr. White. I really did have a stomach-ache. I’d had one ever since I’d left Carmella’s yesterday.”

The guilt accrued by repeatedly lying to Carmella and holding out for a reward manifests in physical symptoms. Previously, Georgina lied about these same symptoms to cut class, but now they are becoming a reality. The view of the stained ceiling tiles in the nurse’s office are a metaphor for Georgina’s inner corrupted state.

“In that instant, I knew I’d been wrong about Mookie. Well, maybe not totally wrong. He was kind of crazy. But I guess he was nice, too. And smart. And someone who leaves a good trail behind him.”

 A key part of Georgina’s character development is learning not to judge people at face value. She is humbled by her mistaken assessment of Mookie, as she realizes that his character far surpasses his appearance. As his approach to life is so different from any she has previously encountered, she still deems his eccentricity to be a form of craziness. Still, recognizing Mookie’s goodness and altruism is an important step in changing her behavior.

“The farther I got from Carmella’s house, the heavier my feet felt. By the time I got to the corner, they felt like cement bricks, slowing me down until I couldn’t take another step.”

While Georgina initially opts for the cowardly approach and lets Willy run back to Carmella alone, her conscience practically forbids her from going through with it, by making her feet feel increasingly heavy. Thus, Georgina’s body alerts her that she is taking the wrong path, and she has no choice but to turn back. Along with the stomachaches, the heavy feet are another physical manifestation of Georgina’s guilt.

“She reached out and took my hands in hers and didn’t sound at all hateful when she said, ‘I guess bad times can make a person do bad things, huh?’”

Carmella’s capacity to forgive Georgina stems from her understanding of the latter’s terrible circumstances. Rather than taking a hard-line moralistic approach and attributing bad actions to bad character, Carmella appreciates the complexity of the situation. For Georgina’s part, she gets to experience the comfort that arises from sharing the truth, even though it fills her with shame. Carmella’s acceptance of her enables Georgina to accept herself and to trust others.