The Power of the Dog

A common trope in the frontier mythology is that only the strong survive. In the novel, the trope is apparent, though what constitutes strength has more to do with intellect than physical force or will. In the harsh world of the frontier as portrayed in the novel, the alpha male, represented by Phil, is not immune to the dangers it poses. What Phil tries to do, and for the most part succeeds in doing, is to exercise his will over his environment and the people in it. Phil operates by instinct and is not led astray by emotion. In this way, he resembles the dog that only he—and later Peter—sees the shape of in the mountain he gazes upon. He believes that the way to survive is not just to use his strength to sustain his own territory; instead, survival is dependent on the subjugation of others. He is like a big dog who, once fed, guards his food rather than eats it and growls at other dogs who come close to it. Sometimes it is in the expression of dominance, rather than the actual use of force, that enables Phil to hold onto authority over his world.