Sounder

Content Warning: This section of the guide features depictions of racism, violence, physical abuse, cruelty to animals, animal illness, and death.

The events of Sounder frequently demonstrate the intense bond of love and devotion between the titular dog and his caretakers. By emphasizing Sounder’s love of the boy, his father, and the rest of the family, as well as his status as a productive member of the family in his own right, Armstrong adheres to the well-worn stereotype of dogs as invaluable companions and helpers. The family’s admiration for Sounder reinforces this theme as well, for without Sounder, they would be both lonelier and poorer.

At the beginning of the novel, the boy’s love for Sounder is revealed through his inner thoughts, dialogue, and actions, especially when the boy admits to loving Sounder even more than school. As the narrative states, “Having both school and Sounder would be mighty good, but if he couldn’t have school, he could always have Sounder” (10). The boy’s dedication to Sounder is reflected in his reaction to Sounder’s injuries and lengthy disappearance. Even though the boy has other tasks to do in order to help his family survive, he chooses to spend days looking for his dog, walking through the woods and crawling under the cabin in an effort to find him, crying and calling, “Sounder, Sounder, Sound…” until “his