Introduction:
Memoirs of a Yellow Dog is a short story written by American short story writer O’Henry in 1906. This story highlights the emptiness of feelings, loveless marriage, and meaninglessness of life. It sheds light on the American middle-class people in particular highlighting New York.
It is a memoir of a yellow dog. He recounts his life experiences in which he discussed a fat lady and his husband who are his owners. He noticed the indifferent behavior of the fat lady and despised her.
On the other hand, he loves his master. Moreover, he tries to make him realize the meaninglessness of his life. In the end, both of them leave the fat lady
Memoirs of a Yellow Dog Summary
The story opens up with the description of a dog. He says the only thing that is known to him is that he is born a yellow pup. Besides, he also mentions that his pedigree, date, locality, and weight is unknown.
Then, he recollects his past and tells how a fat lady bought him from an old woman carrying him in a basket at Broadway. He mentions from then on, he had become a pet and that old lady treats him like a child.
He says that she calls him “Oh, oo’s um oodlum, doodlum, woodlum, toodlum, bitsy-witsy skoodlums?”
Afterward, he pictures himself saying how his appearance has changed. He adds that now he looks more like an “Angora cat” and “box of lemons” than a yellow pup. Moreover, he mocks his mistress naïve act that how she tried to enter him in a bloodhound prize. However, she was stopped by two police officers for doing so.
Subsequently, he represents the flat of his owners that it is an ordinary house of New York. Mistress rented it unfurnished and then decorated it with some 1903 antiques and regular things. Moving on to Mistress’s husband he describes how indifferent she is towards him. She made him make him wash the dishes and listen to her small talks. Also, it is his duty to take me out for a walk every evening.
Similarly, he recounts the daily activity of his mistress. He describes how the whole house is messed up i-e, unwashed dishes. However, she spends her time in gossips, overeating, and peeking out of windows to watch the neighborhood.
He says this how he leads his life by watching the fat lady all day long killing her time. Also, by having some pipe dreams of being outside, chasing cars, and barking at old ladies along with other black mittens.
Similarly, he draws a line of resemblance between him and the lady’s husband. He expresses that both of them seem alike when they go outside and everyone notices that. They wandered and reached the area of poor people. There they climb on the piles of December’s snow.
Then, one evening he tells his sufferings to the lady’s husband in a bitter manner when they are promenading. He inquires why he looks so harsh and upset if he has not to tolerate the kisses of the fat lady. He doesn’t have to lap her lap and listens to her musical comedy. He remarks to him that he should be thankful for not being a dog.
After this, the lady’s husband speaks up and asks the reason for whatever dog uttered before. Also, he says that the dog seems like he could speak. The dog criticizes him for not understanding his language.
Also, he adds that human being lacks the understanding of animal language as they have different comprehension strategy
He starts describing a lady living across the fat lady’s flat. That lady has a black-and-tan terrier who is strung every evening by her husband for a walk. He describes how her husband always looks happy when he returns. In order to find out things the yellow pup struck his nose with black- and tan terrier in the hall.
The yellow pup inquires of the black-and-tan the reason of cheerfulness of his master. On which he replies that he uses nature’s own remedy. Also, he is careless. He tells him how he has lost two inches of his tail trying to sidestep the swinging doors.
One evening about six o’clock the fat lady orders his husband to get busy and take Lovey for a walk. At this point, the yellow pup who is the narrator of the story reveals his name given to him by his mistress. On the other hand, black-and-tan is called Tweetness.
Then, he describes how he along with his master was sitting around the table. He moves his tail while waiting for the waiter. He says that he enjoyed that free food like her mistress who enjoys it the same way at home. However, the master was getting drunk. After that, the dog persuades him to go to the saloon.
At that time, the master played with him after unleashing him. Moreover, he took his collar and threw it in the street and tried to set him free.
The master suggests the dog leave and enjoys being outside. His mistress is not going to adore him anymore. However, the dog refused to leave and rolled up himself around the old man’s legs.
Moreover, the dog asks him why he doesn’t leave? The mistress is abusive to both of them. She mistreats him by ordering him to wash dishes and households. On the other hand, she bothers the dog with a pink bow that she ties on his tail.
In the end, the master realizes how he is wasting his life in a loveless marriage in a boring apartment. He decided to leave his wife along with the dog and move to the “Rocky Mountains”.
Similarly, he changed the dog name from “Lovey” to “Pete”. He thinks that Lovey is an undignified name while Pete sounds good and common. The master’s this act made the dog cheerful.
Memoirs of a Yellow Dog Characters
Lovey:
Lovey is a yellow pup and narrator of the story. He is bought by a fat lady and kept as a pet. From the story, one can find him an observer. The way he observes mistress and her husband. Though this character is an animal but speaks like a human.
He seems kind and empathetic particularly when he feels sorry for the pathetic condition of his mistress’s husband. Also, he gets bothered by Mistress’s naive attitude towards him.
Fat lady:
She is the owner of the yellow pup. On one hand, O’Henry represents her apathy as she mistreats her husband. On the other hand, she seems to coddle the yellow pup. Her attitude towards yellow pup throws light on her naïve behavior.
The way she treats him like a child. Also, she is a sluggish woman, who spends time in gossips and overeating.
Fat lady’s husband:
He is the husband of the fat lady, who always looks gloomy and upset. He is a drunk and victimized character in the story. His wife shows an indifferent attitude towards him. After getting home from work he is ordered by her wife to do the household as well.
His life in the story depicts a void of love. Moreover, he takes the yellow pup for a walk every evening. However, in the end, he realizes how he is wasting his life in a marriage where there is no respect and love.
In order to get rid of that, he leaves his married life and takes the yellow pup with himself. As well as, he changed the yellow pup’s name as it is given by the mistress and depicts indignity according to him.
Memoirs of a Yellow Dog Themes:
Loveless marriage:
Throughout the story, one can see a gap of feelings and respect between the couple. Their married life is void of companionship. They don’t have any feelings for one another. Moreover, the fat lady doesn’t care about her husband.
Instead of doing housework, she kills her time in gossip and overeating. However, when her husband arrived she started ordering him different works to do.
On the other hand, the husband also looks gloomy and upset every time. In order to get rid of this, he always drinks. In the end, he realizes his unbalanced marital life and ends up leaving it.
Meaninglessness:
O’Henry tactfully depicts the meaninglessness of American people in the 19th century. It is evident from the fat lady’s behavior how she lacks purpose in her life. Rather, she kills her time in gossiping, overeating, and peeking out of windows. Instead of doing something useful she does useless things and wastes her time.
Similarly, their marital life is without love and care which are the vital things. They lack companionship and become apathetic towards each other.
In the same manner, the fat lady’s husband also lacks goals in his life. He used to drink to get away from his saddened life.
Realization:
Fat lady’s husband at first tries to endure. He tries not to misbehave with his wife and follows her order. However, in the end, he realizes his unbalanced marital life and ends up leaving it.
In this way, he realizes the lacking things in his life that are love, care, and respect. By leaving, he showed that he made some purpose in his life.
Love and care:
The yellow pup in the story represents love and care. The way he feels sorry for the husband of the mistress. In the end, when he tries to set him free the dog suggests him to set himself free of shackles as well.
He tells him that his mistress doesn’t love him and cares about him. Instead of wasting his life in such an invaluable place he should leave it and realize his worth.
In the story, one can see the dog caring about his master. On the other hand, his master also seems empathetic towards him when he tries to set him free.
Freedom:
In the story, readers can find how freedom is enchained. The fat lady bought the yellow pup and pet him. Though, he gets irritated by her naïve behavior and feels uncomfortable.
Also, it is exhibited through the couple characters how they are shackled in a loveless marriage. Their marital life is devoid of care and love and in this way they are shackled. Their desires and hopes are enchained.
However, in the end, the husband realizes this and he leaves his married life. In this, he represents real freedom.
Memoirs of a Yellow Dog Analysis
This short story is written by O’Henry and highlights the emptiness of feelings, loveless marriage, and meaninglessness of life. The fat lady who is the owner of the dog is an apathetic character. She doesn’t feel any intimacy towards her husband. Rather, she behaves indifferently to him when he is around.
Moreover, when he comes home she unlike other partners opens up a list of orders for him to perform. She doesn’t care if he is tired or needs some time to relax. She made him do the dishes and take out the dog for a walk.
In contrast, she shows intimacy towards the dog. She keeps him like the way a child does his/her pet. Similarly, she coddles him and pays more attention to him than her marital life and obligations. However, there is a conflict between the dog and the fat lady. Though she adores him, the dog seems irritated and despises her.
Similarly, their marital life is devoid of care and love. Both of them lack a particular companionship that one should have in their marriage. They don’t pay attention to each other. Rather, it seems as if both despise each other. The husband looks gloomy and upset all the time.
It is evident to the readers when Lovey talked to the Tweets and asked the cheerful nature and look of his master. Lovey observes Tweetness master and compares his life with his master. There he finds the difference that after getting back from walking, Tweetness’s master, unlike his master, looks cheerful.
In the same manner, O’Henry depicts the lives of the mediocre in New York. Readers can find the glimpses of their connection to the middle class when O’Henry describes the view of flat. Hr depicts their absurd lives through the characters of the couple.
On one hand, the fat lady mirrors the meaninglessness. Instead of doing anything useful, she does a lot of futile things including gossips, overeating, and peeking out of windows. She doesn’t give time to her marital obligations. Even though she doesn’t do any housework.
On the other hand, her husband also seems fed up with life and looks very miserable. In order to get rid of this, he gets drunk every time.
From the aforementioned characters, it is evident that O’Henry is highlighting the prevalent addiction and meaninglessness of middle-class people. The characters depict a society in a particular way that lacks vision and goals. O’Henry depicts how aimless American society was in that era.
However, O’Henry also conveys the message of realization. The husband of the fat lady ends up leaving her because of the loveless marriage. Though the dog is known for his loyalty, in this story, the dog leaves his mistress.
He, like the husband of the lady, realized that mistress is abusive to both of them though in different ways.
Significance of the Title:
The Memoirs of a Yellow Dog connotes the emptiness of feelings and meaning in life. The dog highlights the sufferings of the husband. The way he is mistreated. Moreover, The Memoirs of a Yellow Dog mirrors the meaninglessness of American society as well. The dog helps to realize the husband’s aimless life in the story.
Setting:
The time period of the short story is set in the 19th century. However, the locations are the fat lady’s flat in New York.
Literary Devices:
O’Henry has used the following literary devices in the story:
The leash:
The leash symbolizes the shackled existence of the characters. On one side, the dog is enchained by the leash of his masters. On the other side, the couple is enchained in the loveless marriage. The leash also foreshadows their freedom.
At first, the husband of the fat lady tries to free the dog by unleashing him. However, in the end, he unleashed himself from the shackles of a loveless marriage.
The dog:
The dog in the story symbolizes care and love. Unlike his Mistress, he feels sorry for her husband and loves him. Moreover, It symbolizes that even animals feel the husband but Mistress throughout the story remained apathetic towards him.
Imagery:
O’Henry has used incredible imagery in the story when he visualizes the fat lady’s apartment before readers. The narrator says she rented it unfurnished but then decorated it with some antiques and regular things.
The narrator says the flat was decorated with “1903 antique upholstered parlour set, oil chromo of geishas in a Harlem tea-house, rubber plant and husband”.
Metaphor:
In order to describe the appearance, the narrator uses the metaphor of “Angora cat” and “a box of lemons“. This depicts that the yellow pup has grown.
Simile:
It appears when the dog compares himself with St. Bernard. He expresses that he was pretending. For this, he says “I was trying to look like a prize St. Bernard”
Personification:
Throughout the story, one can see O’Henry has personified the character of the dog with humanly attributes i-e, emotional, thinking, speaking.
Irony:
The narrator utters “Humans were denied the speech of animals”. However, he communicates with his master throughout the story. As well as, by this, the narrator tries to highlight that humans are devoid of emotions.
Tone:
At first, the narrator uses an ironic tone in the story. In the beginning, he says that humans lack the understanding of animal language “I DON’T SUPPOSE it will knock any of you people off your perch to read a contribution from an animal”. However, in the story, he communicates with his master and he seems to understand that.
Later on, the tone shifts to dejected and somber. The narrator feels sorry for the husband’s mistreatment. The narrator says ‘Can’t you see that we’re both Pups in the Wood and the missis is the cruel uncle”
Genre:
Memoirs of a Yellow Dog is a short story written in magical realism. The story contains the magical element of a speaking dog. Moreover, this unreal thing is out into a realistic setting (New York).
As well as, it is represented with human attributes of being able to think rationally and being emotional. Also, this magical character helps to understand the meaninglessness of American society.