Analyse af Fay Weldons 'Live like a dog, alone'

Analysis and Interpretation of the short storyLive like a dog, aloneBy Fay Weldon

“Live like a dog, alone” is a modern day short story written by Fay Weldon. One of the main themes of the story is the loneliness felt by the two main characters, Miriam and the taxi driver. Another repeatedly mentioned thing in the text is the comparison between man and dog.

Throughout the story the taxi driver is described as, and comparing himself to, a dog: “I have no-one, Miriam. You have to believe me. I am no better than a dog.” Later in the text, even his appearance is described as “doggish”, and he is carrying a “dog tag” around his neck: “…darkish and short, an identity tag hung around his neck.” Throughout the text, this identity tag is a symbol of his reserved and modest personality. Once he takes off the identity tag, he turns extrovert and open-minded. He is a pessimistic man with very low self-worth, who now lives in London after he emigrated from Kosovo three years ago because of the war. “... From his analogy, dogs did not enjoy much honour in his homeland.” This quote shows us that the taxi driver and other “dogs” like him were a lower class in the Kosovo society.