Sounder

In the novel’s final chapters, Sounder’s ecstatic reaction at the father’s sudden return adds a tragic tone to the novel’s focus on The Bond between Dogs and Their Humans, for both Sounder and his master have been deeply wounded and broken by the injustices of life. Yet in this moment, Sounder’s intense joy at seeing the father after so many years speaks to the true depths of his loyalty. As the narrative states, “Sounder was a young dog again […] [and] seemed to understand that to jump up and put his paw against his master’s breast would topple him into the dust so the great dog smelled and whined and wagged his tail and licked the limp hand dangling at his master’s side” (65). The implicit contrast between the dog’s exuberance and the man’s “limp hand” underscores the years of trauma that both have endured. By showing that Sounder remembers the father despite their many years apart, the author demonstrates their deep bond even as the father’s broken body and lack of energy foreshadow further tragedies to come. Thus, this happy reunion serves as a brief bright moment and does not last long; within the year, the father dies. Because Sounder no longer has any “spirit left for living” (69) after this loss and dies not long after the father’s death, it is clear that the depths of Sounder’s loyalty render him unwilling to live without his master.

The novel’s final chapters also conclude the theme of Surviving Racism and Hostility, for the narrative shows that despite the family’s many hardships, the boy perseveres through violence and cruelty, pursuing his own goals and ambitions even in the constant shadow of racism and poverty. As he travels throughout the county alone, looking for his father, the boy is rendered vulnerable to violence and must always remain vigilant in order to protect himself; he learns to “sniff out danger and spot orneriness quickly” (58). The nature of the hazards that surround him is made clear during his encounter with a dangerous prison guard. Notably, Armstrong portrays this man as a villainous authority figure, much like the town sheriff, for he too needlessly targets the boy. As the boy watches some convicts working, trying to pick out his father among them, the guard throws an iron scrap at the boy, “crush[ing] the fingers of one of his hands against the fence” (53) and then follows up this cruelty by laughing at the pain he has caused. In this moment, the boy’s hatred of the guard deepens his characterization and speaks to the years of injustice that he has already been forced to endure. 

However, the scene also shows that he is inwardly determined to resist such abuse, even if he is unsure how to do so. To this end, the author invokes the biblical story of the hero David, who defeated his monstrous foe, Goliath; in this moment, the boy fantasizes about killing the guard just as the heroic David slew the giant warrior:

He looked at the iron and he looked at the man. The white spot between his hair and his eyes was the spot. The iron would split it open with a wide gash, and blood would darken the white spot and make it the color of the man’s sunburned face. And the stone that David slung struck Goliath on his forehead. (56)

However, despite the boy’s hatred for the guard, he leaves the iron on the ground and walks away. By superimposing the imagery of this Bible story atop the grim reality that the boy now faces, Armstrong contrasts the boy’s inner feelings with his outer passivity, emphasizing the protagonist’s innocence and feelings of powerlessness to change his unfair circumstances.

In yet another pointed contrast with this cruel moment, the boy’s budding friendship with the benevolent school teacher helps him to recover from this incident and completes the novel’s foreshadowing that a stranger will take an interest in the boy’s learning. The author portrays this positive connection as a source of emotional and physical healing. As the boy tells the teacher, “You’ve been a powerful good friend to take me in like this…my fingers don’t hurt no more” (60). His new friendship and working relationship with the teacher advance the boy’s goal of learning to read, and he continues to rely on stories to give himself new hope and courage. 

The boy’s continued passion for reading also emphasizes the transformative nature of The Power of Storytelling, for his determination to work for the schoolteacher in exchange for an education shows his commitment to his goal and its importance in his life. When the boy finally accomplishes his goal, he comes full circle and becomes the storyteller to his younger siblings, just as his mother had been for him. Notably, Armstrong states that the boy “read to his brothers and sisters […] [telling] the story of Joseph over and over and never [wearying] of it” (62). By describing the boy’s new position in the family as a literate storyteller, the author shows that the protagonist has grown and matured despite the unfair obstacles against him, and thus, despite the tragedies that have stalked the family, the story ends on a note of triumph.