Depictions of Dogs in American Films

Depictions of Dogs in American Films Thesis By Amanda Hašlová Submitted in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts In Communication and Media State University of New York Empire State College 2021 Reader: Todd Nesbitt Table of Contents Abstract This paper examines how dogs are depicted in American films to gain a better understanding of the relationship between humans and dogs. The first part includes research in four areas connected to the relationship between humans and dogs, while the second part covers an analysis of eight culturally significant films. Two areas that are focused on in the analysis are the portrayals of loyalty and the depictions of violence. Dogs play a significant role in the lives of humans, which is noticeable in both historical and cultural aspects. Although dogs have also proven to play a vital role in the world of entertainment, their depictions are based on authentic reactions that stem from deeper meanings. The paper concludes that dogs are more important to humans than previously known. Together with dogs, humans have been able to evolve in unimaginable ways, leading us to where we are today. Only time will tell us how the relationship between humans and dogs will evolve further. 1. Introduction Dogs have been a significant part of the human evolution since times of hunting and gathering. Their purpose has varied over the years, but most recently, they are mainly kept as companions. Because dogs have proven to be such vital actors in the lives of humans, they are also used for the purpose of entertaining. Specifically, the popularity of films in which the main character is a dog has increased significantly over the past few decades. Currently, dogs can be used in many different areas and in many different ways. Because dogs were bred by humans to fulfill specific tasks depending on the breed, they possess extraordinary talents formed by their heritage. The nature of the dog enables it to cooperate with humans in ways that can produce stunning performances in films. Dogs’ motivation to please their handlers is what allows them to overcome boundaries. The advantage of using dogs in the production of films is their intelligence, which can be used to portray various specific emotions on-screen. The emotions that are captured are what convinces viewers of the story that is being told. The disadvantage of using dogs in the production of films may concern several ethical issues, such as whether the dog is being trained humanely or whether the dog may feel forced to perform certain scenes. 4 By getting an in-depth understanding of what the dog’s existence means to the lives of humans, several questions regarding its importance can be answered. Furthermore, by thoroughly dissecting the depiction of dogs in films, knowledge about the preferences of humans can be attained. Through a comprehension of the messages portrayed in the films, a significance can be found regarding the relationship between humans and dogs. Although the main approach is of qualitative nature, which aims at the discoveries of meanings, some hypotheses can be specified prior to the analysis. Firstly, because dogs have stood beside humans for several millennia, assumptions can be made that dogs will be depicted as very loyal to humans. Secondly, because cruelty against dogs is heavily frowned upon, assumptions can be made that there will be minimal depictions of violence toward dogs. The purpose of this paper is to examine how dogs have been portrayed in popular American films in order to identify the nature of the relationship between dogs and humans emerging from them. To do this, the paper will be divided into two parts, where the first part will cover the research and the second part will cover the analysis that will include eight films in which the main character is a dog, beginning with the 1940s and ending with the 2010s. 5 2. Dogs and Society This is the part of the paper that covers the research that will investigate four crucial areas of dogs and their relationship with humans. To be able to fulfill the purpose of this paper, the research will build the theoretical foundation, which will allow a deeper understanding of dogs prior to the conduction of the analysis. 6 2.1 The History of Dogs Although we cannot be certain of every aspect of our evolution, the historical evidence that has been gathered so far about the development of the relationship between humans and dogs suggests that the bond between the two species is much stronger than previously thought. By examining data of the evolution of both species, we may be able to unravel why dogs have proven to be so effective when cooperating with humans. In 1868, Charles Darwin published a book in which he summarized his thoughts on how artificial selection can affect the process of evolution. He studied various domesticated animals, but most importantly, he studied dogs. Although Darwin’s studies are over 150 years old, they already included theories that were yet to be confirmed. He argued that the dog may have originated from one or more wild species of animals, such as the wolf or the jackal. At that time, Darwin stated that the probability of certainly determining the origin of dogs would be almost non-existent. However, over 120 years after his publication, molecular genetics began to develop the possibility of providing answers to who the original ancestor of the dog is (Sykes, 2018). The first genetic analysis that aimed to determine the dog’s origin was published in 1997 by Carles Vilà and his team. The biologists were able to gather samples of 162 wolves from 27 different locations in the world, 140 dogs from 67 7 different breeds, 12 jackals and 5 coyotes. By analyzing the DNA sequences of these animals, Vilà and his team were able to immediately determine that the jackals and the coyotes were unrelated to the dog, leaving the wolf and the dog to be studied further. Eventually, it was found that the DNA sequences of the wolves and the dogs matched almost completely, which confirmed that the dog is in fact descended from the wolf (Vilà et al., 1997). Currently, there are several theories as to when the domestication of the wolf occurred and where in the world it happened. Although fossils of wolf-like dogs from various periods and locations have been found and studied, the history that can be extracted from the bones is usually very limited. With these bones however, some estimations have been able to provide answers as to when and where the transition from wolf to dog happened. After years of many different theories being proposed, a major study based on complete mitochondrial genomes published in 2013 was able to determine that the transition most likely occurred in Europe between 19,000 and 32,000 years ago (Thalmann et al., 2013). The question of how the first contact between humans and wolves happened is another one to be theorized. What is known is that while the human species Homo neanderthalensis remained cautious of wolves, individuals of Homo sapiens were rather fascinated by the four-legged hunters. Wolves shared a similar interest in the innovative humans, who were much more efficient in hunting than their 8 predecessors. The curiosity that the humans and the wolves shared for one another is what laid the foundation of a relationship that would guide the evolution of both species. Although the humans did not know it at that time, they were the founders of an unbreakable bond between human and animal (Sykes, 2018). Because the domestication of the wolf is unlike any other, we may assume that the process did not begin with force. Thus, the theory that wolf pups may have been forcefully taken from their dens and then raised by humans from a very young age can be eliminated. This leaves us with two alternatives for how the first meeting between human and wolf took place. Either the humans were the first to approach the wolves, or the wolves were the first to approach the humans. In the first scenario, we may assume that wolves that were hunting were in some way joined by humans. Hunting was then more effective when it was teamed up by two predator species – the human and the wolf (Miklósi, 2018). The second scenario, where wolves may have been the first to approach humans, involves the emerging tendency of early humans to build more permanent residences. The areas where the humans would choose to live would be subject to an accumulation of garbage, mostly in the form of leftovers. Since wolves have an incredible sense of smell, the ones that were in the areas nearby would become attracted to the scents of the leftovers. The wolves that were brave enough would attempt to get as close to the leftovers as possible without being noticed by the 9 humans. Sooner or later, the humans began to appreciate the presence of the wolves, who were keeping their residences safer from other predators (Ha and Campion, 2018). Although we may not know certainly of how the first encounter between human and wolf happened, we do know that however it happened, it sparked a relationship between two species that together would become unstoppable. In a time when surviving was difficult, humans and wolves would prove to be an extremely effective collaboration of strength and speed. During hunting, the wolves would identify a weaker individual of a herd and then separate it from the group, while the humans would follow them. Once the wolves had exhausted the prey by running after it, the humans were able to shoot spears from a distance.

Load more