zoo story
...ed the poisonous meat patty and becoming deathly ill, Jerry realizes that he hoped for the dog to survive in order to “see what our new relationship might come to” (1159). After the dog’s remarkable recovery, Jerry refers to him as “a descendant of the puppy that guarded the gates of hell” (p. 1159). In mythology, this reference corresponds to Cerberus, the three headed dog with the tail of a serpent. Cerberus was the faithful watchdog to Hades, the god of the underworld. In this situation, the dog was trying to prohibit Jerry from entering the hell accompanied by rooming house by biting him only when he entered the building. He was trying to prevent Jerry from becoming a hopeless loser like the rest of the residents. “I loved the dog now, and I wanted him to love me. I had tried to love, and I had tried to kill, and both had been unsuccessful by themselves” (p.1160). Jerry learned that the teaching emotion can only be acquired when kindness and cruelty are in union with each other, at that specific moment in time (1161). “We must know the effects of our actions” (1159) because simple acts of love can become misinterpreted resulting in isolation then “what is gained is loss” (1161). As Jerry repeatedly makes reference to various animals and the situations in which they are involved, he is linking key ideas of restriction, imprisonment, and isolation. While Jerry is visiting the zoo he takes particular notice to the fact that everyone is separated from one other by the use of bars (1162). He also characterizes the zoo by the sounds of the barking seals, the screaming birds, and the associated stench (1162). These animals are likely to be scared and confused because they are unable to see one another in order to place a creature with the surrounding cries. The same applies to Jerry and the tenants of the rooming house. Everyday Jerry hears the Puerto Rican family with the kids, the lady who cries on the third floor, and the colored queen who frequents the john. He’s not personally acquainted with these people, but hears their voices and movements. Each one of these tenants are held captive in their social class unable to hurdle the economic barriers placed before them. The zoo emphasizes the various separations in society. The apparent correlation between the ro...