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Live Like a Dog

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Live Like a Dog, Alone.

1. Give a summary of Live Like a Dog, Alone.
‘’Live Like a Dog’’ is a story that takes place in a cab in the middle of London. In this cab we meet two persons with very different opinions on how to observe life. We meet the cabdriver who is a refugee and Miriam who is a fifty-five year old stressed British woman. The cabdriver admits that he is as lonely as a dog, but Miriam tries to cheer him up. Miriam had just been picked up at the hospital. She suffers from heart attacks because of her stress and work. As we gets deeper into the mind of Miriam, we get to know the true story of her. She is lonely just like the cabdriver and that is why she decides to offer him a cup of coffee and see where it will lead. Despite the fact that she has an idea about it.

2. Characterize Miriam and the life she lives.
Miriam as person can be described quite accurate with two quotes: * ‘’Thoughts are the shadows of our feelings – always darker, emptier and simpler.’’ (Friedrich Nietzsche) * ‘’Do not give in too much to feelings – A overly sensitive heart is an unhappy possession on this shaky earth.’’
(Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)

The reason why this describes Miriam quite well is because of the fact that she has two sides. She has the confident and positive side and the more darken, lonely side. When in public, she tries to show the positive way of living and actually tries to make it better to the people who are feeling bad or even the people trying to use Miriam such as her ex-husband. That means, that even though she is lonely she wants to make it a world worth living. Despite the fact, that she has not been too lucky herself. That is her positive side which quote #2 describes. But you have to keep in mind that this side is just an act, an appearance so to speak.

The other side is her private, lonely state of mind. Her ex-husband left her, took a lot of her money and found a white girl who he married. This darkened the mind of Miriam and I think she began to work a lot to compensate for her loss and loneliness. Even though she worked too much and got stressed she would not stop working – as soon she would be home, she would be alone anyways. Because of this she began to look down at men subconsciously. She wanted the best for people, but there would always be this little evil devil inside of her. The first quote describes this well and it is also shown in the text. She has prejudices against the cabdriver. She finds him dirty and automatically thinks that he is an illegal immigrant. (p. 1 l. 19-23)

3. Comment on the title.
I find the title very interesting. I think it symbolizes the life of the two individuals. After the cabdriver came to London and after Miriam’s ex-husband left her, they both became alone. They became stray dogs. Dogs who are alone in the streets, dogs that nobody really wants or care for at all. But there can be something good and positive in the life of stray dogs as well as anybody else. I think that can be seen in the way Miriam tries to make it a better world to the ones that do not really care for her – if they will not show it, then she will take the first step in the right way. When she meets the cabdriver she finally finds someone like herself. Someone who is lost in this world, just like herself. I think she finds that attractive and that is why she invites him over. I do not think it is because she is desperate.

4. Discuss the ending.
I find it a very happy ending. Though the text says that she know how it will all end - into a divorce and he will find a white girl about the same age as himself, I think this is a lie. It is written this way, because that is (or actually was now – that is the point) way she is used to people treating her. But now she has found the one, the one that knows exactly what she means and how she feels.

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