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Animals In The Eyes of The Dragon
Although it may seem quite absurd, the role of animals in The Eyes of
the Dragon is a very supreme and dignified part of the novel. Through the
development of the novel, the animal kingdom roars novel from insects to
dogs and they all play their own, individual roles. The great black and
white Anduan Husky named Frisky who is, out of all of her dogs, NaomiÆs
favorite, leads Ben Staad and Naomi directly to the whereabouts of Dennis,
PeterÆs butler. FlaggÆs animals are symbols of his plans for the downfall
of Delain. The dragon that is killed by King Roland may be considered the
most the memorable of all. In this archetypal tale, Thomas sees Flagg
murder ThomasÆs father through the eyes of the dragon. In the end of the
novel, though, all of the animalsÆ roles fall into place.
Frisky, NaomiÆs companion, is a strong-willed, over-confident, Anduan
Husky who may have been the ôgreatest tracking dog that ever lived.ö This
dog sums up the meaning of a manÆs best friend. Frisky, who can track a
three-day-old scent in the middle winter, is the reason the story takes
place as it does. Just as arson dogs help pinpoint the location of
substances used to start fires, Frisky uses her keen sense of smell to
pinpoint exactly where Dennis, son of Brandon, has journeyed to from
PeynaÆs farmhouse. DennisÆs mission is to go back to the castle where
Thomas the Tax-Bringer and Flagg, the kingÆs magician, live and are at
high power. Peyna, who has just given up his Judge-GeneralÆs bench, has a
feeling that there is some reason why Peter has asked for the Royal
Napkins and his motherÆs dollhouse. Dennis is to find this reason by
sending a letter to Peter, who is imprisoned at the time. Dennis journeys
from PeynaÆs farm in the Inner Baronies back to the fearful castle with
nothing except for the risks of getting killed. Five days later, with not
a soul knowing the whereabouts of Dennis, Naomi and Ben Staad (PeterÆs
best friend) come upon the deserted farm. NaomiÆs dogs have been pulling
the sleds for thirty miles all the way from a snowy hollow in which they
were camping. The two now feel helpless. With no clue on where there
friend had traveled to, they search diligently for any signs of what they
are to do next and find nothing at all. ôIf only there were a way to track
him,ö Ben says and, thereafter, a light bulb lights in NaomiÆs head like
the sun on a due-soaked morning (King 296). This is the epitome of where
Frisky fits into the picture. After brief discussion and argument, Ben
and Naomi discover that there are traces of Dennis in this abandoned shed
but it cannot be detected by humans and FriskyÆs sense of smell is like
the ôeyesight of a man with the gaze of a hawkö (King 299). Stephen King
substantially points out that DennisÆs scent is a bright electric blue and
that Frisky has the scent stored away in her ôlibrary of scentsö (King
299).
Frisky leads her companions far and high, through many miles of
snow to the deserted farmhouse and eventually to a place in which they are
forced to pause. One may appear dumbfounded considering why Frisky is
referred to above as being æover-confident.Æ At the moat, after some minor
conflict, the Anduan Husky personally expedites the situation and takes a
leap of faith into the great sewer pipe which takes the travelers under
the castle and directly to DennisÆs location. Besides the fact that FriskyÆ
s ônoble noseö is a main theme and could be considered by some a moral,
there is more educational and entertainment values here than in any other
part of the story.
FlaggÆs animals aide him in all of his attempts to doom the
kingdom of Delain. For example, the deathwatch spider that Flagg kept
encaged for twenty years is his way to attempt to kill Sasha, the KingÆs
beloved wife. The spider has been feeding on newborn baby mice that are
dying from poison. The spider is blood red and as big as a rat (King 31).
Flagg squeezes the spider to death and mixes the deadly insides with a
glass of brandy, something that Sasha drinks a glass of each night to help
her sleep. Flagg rings for a servant to come and take the glass to her.
Sasha never finds out how close to death she came that night (King 33).
Another example is the mouse Flagg uses to set up Peter. Flagg is a very
powerful magician. With this knowledge, no one would question FlaggÆs
abilities to place Dragon Sand, the most deadly substance of the time,
into a box that he stole from Peter long ago and hide the box, along with
a cursed mouse, into a secret place that, allegedly, only Peter knows
about. Because the evidence of the crime is found in a place that only
Peter knows about, people begin to see a murdererÆs face behind a mask of
affection and respect (King 116). Peter is then tried before a jury and
taken to the top of the needle where he is to spend the rest of his life.
The reader is introduced to the dragon at the beginning of the
novel when King Roland and others are hunting and ire-breathing creature.
The young dragon is killed when the brave King nocks his arrow, draws,
and fires. Roland makes a direct hit in the spot under the dragonÆs
throat where it takes in air to create fire (King 13). The dragon dies
immediately. Otherwise called the Niner, the dragonÆs head is hung up in
King RolandÆs sitting room along with the head of every other animal in
which the King had considered worth keeping (King 92). The dragonÆs head
is a major secret of the castle. Flagg, being the magician he is, knows
most secrets of the castle (No one, not even he, know all of them) (King
81). Flagg, after Thomas has a bad day at a luncheon with his father,
shows the secrets to Thomas, for he has a feeling it may lead to mischief.
This turns out to be true. The secret is this: After one is led through a
maze of corridors and through the ôdimö door, he must press a certain
stone in order to access the passageway that is revealed after the click
is heard (King 89). At the end of the passageway, there are two little
panels. After sliding these panels, one find himself behind the Niner
and will discover that he can see directly through the dragonÆs eyes.
Though heeding FlaggÆs advice not to go too often, Thomas is watching the
night in which Flagg poisons King Roland. But after Thomas is declared
King, and years of dealing with terrible nightmares, Thomas discovers one
thing: guilt and secrets, like murdered bones, never rest easy (King 167).
Stated in this collection of ideas is that the role of the
animals in The Eyes of the Dragon is a supreme and dignified part of the
novel. The reader must reread the novel for any further confirmation. In
conclusion, one can now acknowledge that animalsÆ effect on how something
takes place is important to everyday living as well as important to the
world of literature.
Written by Michael Peebles in Hoover,AL
contact at: BeerAMid@aol.com
Word Count: 1231
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