Dog Man: Mothering Heights

Chapter 6 foreshadows Petey’s loss of control over his important interview day, which causes him significant frustration. Petey tells Li’l Petey that he doesn’t want Molly coming over because “[he doesn’t] want any DISTRACTIONS today” (82). Petey is surprised and annoyed that Molly is already there, illustrating that his preference for an ordered and peaceful day has already been ignored, and will continue to be ignored in favor of a chaotic children’s playdate. The many chaotic distractions that the children will introduce are foreshadowed in this exchange.

Molly and Li’l Petey conform to the trope of loud and disruptive children in their constant badgering of Petey and in their inappropriate songs. Humorously, this all takes place on live television. It is clear from Petey’s outfit of a buttoned shirt, a tie, and a jacket—he usually wears no clothing—that he wishes to exude a facade of polished professionalism. Instead, Molly and Li’l Petey appear with a toilet plunger and cleaner, singing, “IF YOU’RE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT POOP YOUR PANTS!” (95). The capitalization of their song illustrates its volume, which contrasts sharply with the formal and quiet atmosphere Petey wishes to create for his interview. Furthermore, toilet humor is once again incorporated as a recurring motif; Silliness as Joyful and Important is represented through the hilarious antics of the children.

Petey implores Molly and Li’l Petey not to leave their cups lying around, but immediately forgetting this, they leave them on the top of the stairs. In the same panel that depicts Molly and Li’l Petey having discarded their cups on the floor, Molly and Li’l Petey discuss Petey’s bad temper: “‘Boy, Wally sure is a grouch today!’ ‘I wonder why’” (118). Dramatic irony is present in this, as the reader understands that Molly and Li’l Petey’s extremely frustrating antics are the reason for his bad mood.

The Power of Love, specifically treating one’s community and neighbors with love, is illustrated in these chapters by exploring the consequences of Petey being treated instead with hatred and derision. Employers and landlords refuse to give Petey a chance: “Get lost, ya criminal,” “Everywhere I went, people just saw the bad in me” (123). Intertextuality is present in Chapter 9 when Petey paraphrases John 8:7 from the Bible: “Let any one of ye who is without sin be the first to kick me out” (123). The next panel illustrates the three people whom Petey was addressing kicking him. Petey’s return to crime illustrates the way that hatred begets hatred; Petey felt that he had no choice because “nobody would let [him] forget who [he] used to be” (124). Pilkey suggests that those who do the wrong thing, such as criminals, are treated with hatred by society instead of with love and forgiveness and that this treatment produces more crime. 

Intertextuality is also present in Chapter 10’s title: “Night of the Living Sippy Cups,” a satirical reference to the movie “Night of the Living Dead,” a horror movie where reanimated corpses pursue a terrified group on a farm. The animation of the sippy cups is cast as a laughable version of a horror movie in that animated sippy cups, rather than animated corpses, are ridiculous and humorous rather than frightening.