Bulldog Analysis

Miller characterizes the young boy in a discrete way to reveal the loss of innocence and show his resurgence from the loss. Miller uses the train ride to the woman’s house to show the young boy’s independence; this helps the boy transition to a higher level of maturity. The young boy acknowledges the fact that his family is poor and goes out to earn his own money, which he uses to purchase the puppy. In addition, the boy reads the newspaper daily; most adults do not even pick up a newspaper once a week. When the boy arrives at the woman’s home, “he told her [he was] thirteen she clapped a hand over her mouth and said that he was very tall for his age” (Miller, 73). At the end of the story the boy is mature, for example, when he loses the dog he is rational in his thinking of how to explain to Lucille about losing the dog. Miller is foreshadowing that the boy in the end of t

Miller uses symbolism to show the loss of innocence and to show the boy moving past his loss. At the end of the short story, surprisingly, the boy plays the piano extraordinarily. The outstanding piano playing symbolizes the boy relieving his emotions on the keys and attempting to forget about Lucille and the dog. Readers probably question Miller for giving the woman a name (Lucille) and referring to the main character as just a boy. Lucille means light. Miller names the woman Lucille to extend the theme; the boy loses his innocence but it is a new beginning for him. Lucille enlightens him by opening up his mind to new things; he gains more knowledge by this experience. The boy was yearning to see the woman again; Miller did not allow the boy to. This situation was symbolic of the boy losing his innocence because once you lose your innocence it can’t be lost again. His life almost becomes more complicated because in every decision there are questions to ask and things to ponder before making a decision. For instance, the boy questions whether he should go see Lucille again; this is Miller’s method of showing the boy’s rational thinking. Lastly, Miller helps the boy realize that he is a new man and more mature. The boy finds a box in his basement full of items from his childhood, “and [is] immediately surprised at how sharp his ice skates were…he pushed aside a torn fielder’s glove…some pencil stubs... and a package of crayons” (Miller 75). The boy looking through the box signifies the boy moving past his childhood to the next stage; him looking through th

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