Love and trust come to mind when we think about our relationships with each other. There are many types of these bonds, both between mother and child, and between owner and pet. The story of “A Dark Brown Dog” is an insight into how some relationships can leave us with a dark place in our hearts. The story begins with a child standing on a street corner in summer. When a dark brown dog, with a rope tied around its neck, approaches him. The author does not provide many details about the setting of this story. Which leads the reader to believe that they should use their own vision of the text and go from there. In this case it felt like the 1920s, simply because he speaks on the cobblestone driveway and in front of passing trucks. Even the way the story is told seems to be from that era. After the children meet the dog, they start playing with each other. The passing notes; “The dog became more and more enthusiastic with each moment of the conversation, until with his cheerful somersaults he threatened to knock the child over. Then the boy raised his hand and hit the dog on the head. (Crane) With this we see the first act against the dog. The dog does not become violent or try to escape. Instead he rises up and begs for forgiveness. He rolls onto his back and gives the child a prayerful look. The relational roles become clear here: the child can play God with this dog. Knowing how the dog reacts to this means showing how the dog's character is to please its owner. They play for a while longer, until the child loses interest in the dog's antics. He was on his way home when he notices that the dog is following him. He decides to take a stick and hit him. The dog is still on top of this act and continues to follow it. When they finally reach... the middle of the paper... they are drunk or not. The child cries and heads down the stairs to retrieve his dog. The dog is dead. The interpretations of this story can be of various types. The essential dog may have saved this child, his father may have chosen to throw him out the window. If the dog hadn't been there to take his place, who's to say what might have happened? It also shows how dogs have undeniable love, devotion and desire to please their master. Ultimately these traits, sadly, left him to rest lifeless in the arms of his young master. The relationships between these characters are what pull the strings. The abuse was passed down from father to son. This story leaves a void, with the disturbing turn of events. Works Cited Works Cited Crane, Stephen. "A dark brown dog." American literature. August 2013. Web. 23 November. 2013