[Gibby]

What the heck was the significance of Bent the Cattledog and the little toy poodle of the nobles. He constantly appears, and in the end, Mappo gives Gesler his last healing drafts for the dogs. This is my 2nd read through of the series, so spoiler is fine...maybe I forgot (PM me if you don't want to post a spoiler here).

Thanks

[Aptorian]

They were funny and tragic companions in the Chain of Dogs... do you need more?

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

Spoiler

I keep expecting something significant to happen with those dogs. So far, nyet.

[Abalieno]

It's simply metaphorical value.

The same way the long journey hardened and changed irreparably the men, so their dogs mimicked the same behaviors. "Chain of Dogs". The men mimic their dogs, the dogs mimic their masters.

More than Bent is the lapdog to be important. It goes through a deep change and despite its lineage it becomes truly part of the cattle dogs. The journey transformed people, made them change completely, the same way it happened to most characters.

Quote

A loud yapping bit the air at the vanguard, and as the historian trotted to join the gathered officers he was startled to see, among the cattle-dogs, a small, long-haired lapdog, its once perfectly groomed coat a snarl of tangles and burrs.
'I'd supposed that rat had long since gone through one of the dogs,' Duiker said.
'I'm already wishing it had,' List said. 'That bark hurts the ears. Look at it, prancing around like it rules the pack.'
'Perhaps it does. Attitude, Corporal, has a certain efficacy that should never be underestimated.'

[Salt-Man Z]

The name of the Hengese lapdog is Roach, by the by.

[Bent]

Some one called? Oh wait. This beleive it or not is my favorite characters in the whole series. Not because of some abstract Bent will save the world way, but in a much simpler fashion. The truth is that SE showed the loyalty and companionship a dog brings to the world. In a world ruined and devestated by war, you still have a mangy dog that never stops. Not to spoil anything, but the mere fact that the chain of dogs travelled so far, across rivers, desert etc. Shows that both animals kept pushing, giving some of the people something to strive for. At least thats my take on it. Personally I think Bent will outlive everyone.

[Gibby]

Ok, thanks all. I view a lot of SE's side conversations/minor characters/events as very Shakespearean (comedic relief, metaphors for larger happenings, etc)...and the dogs seem to be animal representations of that .

Thanks again!

[Wordmerchant]

I always have considered them to be a bit of foreshadowing of the Togg/ Fandaray storyline.

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

Are Bent and Roach mates? WIll they produce a new breed of Wickan cattle chihuahuas?

[Bauchelain the Evil]

I thought they were both males.

[Bent]

Nope Roach is a female. And an ugly one at that .

[kimb]

I just finished reading DH for the first time. For some reason I got it in my head that Roach ate the piece of Semk demon that Apt threw after tearing it out of the Semk's body. The book said that the Semk stumbled after it but we don't hear about him again so I assumed he never got it. We read about the dogs eating "things" out in the grass and after this incident we were introduced to the crazy duo.
I felt it could be a funny shadow to the Mappo/Icarium storyline... Bent trying to prevent Roach from releasing his "inner demon".
Hahaha ok it's a stretch but charming...

[Aptorian]

I bet Apt simply devoured the gods flesh.

[lobo the wolfman]

I could be wrong, but wheren't the dogs all eating the dead children left behind the chain of dogs?

[Salt-Man Z]

I only vaguely remember this scene, but I seem to recall intuiting that the dogs were eating the demon/god's remains.

[Wampyry]

Maybe it was just Erikson's tongue-in-cheek closure to Chain of Dogs only the dogs survived. Duiker died.

[coltainereborn]

In TBH,

Spoiler

Bent and Roach follow the orphan Grub around, and are (barely)tolerated for being part of the few survivors of Chain of Dogs, although as i recall they don't seem to actually do much

This post has been edited by coltainereborn: 05 June 2009 - 03:41 PM

[redJAKO]

I spit out coffee on my first read when Coltaine's 'uncle' talked about "that damn lapdog" throwing spears and the kitchen sink at it.

lollllz

[Slaav]

My favorite part is how Roach is actually the pack leader despite being the most annoying chiuahah(sp?) ever. In fact I see the whole Bent/Roach thing as a metaphor for the relationship between the wickans and the 7th. Origianlly the wickans are in charge and have to train the 7th up to par. But once the 7th reach that point the wickans become just another part of the army. I think duiker at one point makes a big deal about coltaine renouncing his Wickaness saying we are the 7th army or something like that.

(tBH and TtH spoiler)

Spoiler

Also remember Karsa's crippled dog that shows up again at the end of TtH SE throughout the series uses dogs to represent unquestionable loyalty

[eastendleo]

Reading the story of these two dogs, I thought it beautifully captured the power of Erikson's writing. From what at first seems a throw away image of death (what else would be happening when we are shown a cattle dog racing away with a dog 'morsel' in its mouth?), to a commentary on unusual friendships (think Icarium and Mappo, or Felesin and Herboric), and finally the tragic fixation on salvaging the almost certainly dead dogs by the soldiers at the end (a stand in for all their losses in battle?). And the change of heart by Mappo thinking what would his friends response be and acting on that to give the soldiers the elixers that will save the lives of the bonded dogs...it choked me up. Along with Icarium and Mappo, this is one thread of the book that swelled to perfection for me.