History of Wolves

Dogs are omnipresent within the narrative, the sounds and sights of them entering the narrative suddenly and subtly throughout the text. Linda’s relationship with her three dogs is one of her most significant relationships. She takes care of them every day and demonstrates an understanding toward them that she is unable to translate into her human companionships. When she reflects upon her time with Paul and Patra, Linda thinks: “I should have gone home to the dogs, who would have slobbered all over my face and hands with happiness” (77). This quote reveals, not her wish to have prevented Paul’s death, but to have left early enough to have never been a part of it. To her, the dogs represent home and safety. Fridlund uses the motifs of the dogs often in association with Linda’s home: “across the lake and beneath the pines—dogs. The dogs dragging their chains, getting hungry, waiting for me to come home” (45). This association works to emphasize the wild aspects of Linda’s nature—that she is more at home with animals than with humans—but also demonstrates her desire to be a part of a pack.