A BIG LITTLE LIFE
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS by Nicole Thomas
1.
Koontz blamed Trixie, “The dog did it.”, when
the rubber Kong toy smashed into and split an oil canvas painting. Have you ever let a pet (or a human) take the
blame for something when it was convenient?
What are some other things pets come in handy for?
2. “The desire to remember words (listening
attentively, for words they recognize), Koontz encourages us to consider his
theory, “the conclusion that the dog also yearns to speak.” Do you think dogs yearn to speak or communicate
with us?
3.
(p. 6-7) Trixie reacted “spooky” when Dean
revealed her as an “angel”. Distancing
herself, her behavior was extremely unusual for her. What did you make out of this incident? (Paranormal?
Complex? Paper thin theories?). Later,
the grandfather had said to Dean while out for a walk with Trixie; “You
have been given stewardship of what you in your faith might call a holy soul.” Having read the entire story, would you agree
with him?
4.
(p. 8) “If we allow ourselves to be enchanted by
the beauty of the ordinary, we begin to see that all things are
extraordinary.” Your thoughts?
5.
(p. 10-11, 12, 15, 146, 147) Why do you think
Koontz decided on including his history with his family within this novel? What did these revelations contribute to the
story?
6.
(p. 16, 186, 218, 220) Koontz often included
sarcasm while conveying stories.
(“something at the end of your nose”, “everyone believed Hitler too”) Do
you think most readers appreciate this satire he applied to himself?
7.
(p.20, 211, 212) Koontz spoke fond of his dog,
Trixie. He also spoke fondly of his
wife, Gerda. Compare the similarities
and examples he shares with the readers.
8.
(p. 22) Koontz talks about during the last hour
of our life. He names two best places
where one could be taken and refers to it being discussed within the Bible. The two places are while one is in prayer and
the other is while we are engaged in work.
Talk about why you agree or disagree with this.
9.
(p. 23) Is there a perfect circumstance to
getting a dog? Deana and Gerta finally,
after 30 years of marriage, finally decide it is the “right” time. Discuss the pros and cons of
overthinking/underthinking about getting a dog/pet.
10.
(p. 22, 26, 27) The Koontz’ become very involved
with the organization, Canine Companions for Independence (CCI). Discuss this organization as well as other
animal related organizations that have accomplished great things for animals
and humans alike.
11.
(p. 33, 147-150) Koontz wrote many books with
dogs featured as characters: Midnight, Beloved, Watchers, Dragon Tears. Discuss how getting Trixie might’ve
influenced how he approached writing.
12.
(p. 35) Koontz states that the most important
quality anyone can possess is character.
Do you agree with this? How does
this trait correlate with our story?
13.
(p.36) The Koontz’ friend, Mike insists that
bringing a dog into their life will make their life more normal as opposed to
the abnormal life they had been living.
Discuss the concepts of normal versus abnormal living.
14.
(p. 37, 72-3) When they first acquired Trixie,
Gerda and Dean were told by Judy, the director of CCI, that “if this dog does
something wrong, the fault will be yours, not hers.” What further events occurred that were
directly related to this advice? How
could this be a good philosophy to apply to our lives?
15.
There were sweet examples of what dogs do and
what we, as their “owners” get to witness and appreciate. One example within the story is during the
first night of Trixie’s arrival, Dean awoke to find that Trixie was staring at
him while he had been sleeping.
Contented after an assured pet, Trixie went to go lay down as if her
analysis of her new family and home was sufficient. Another example was while
at their beach house, Dean had been walking Trixie and saw that she took in
life with constant amazement, which made inspired him to look at things from a
new perspective. Discuss sweet examples you’ve either heard about or you yourself
have experienced with your dog?
16.
(p. 45) Trixie, at just the ideal moment, triggered
the cowboy doll to begin to sing. Do you
suppose Trixie had any knowledge about the topic of conversation? Why do you think Trixie took such measures to
focus in on this object in the house?
17.
(p.50, 51) G.K. Chesterton, an author wrote
about the importance of laughter in a well-lived life. He said, “A man and a woman cannot live
together without having against each other a kind of everlasting joke. Each has
discovered that the other is not only a fool, but a great fool.” Dean explains that dogs love to play the fool
and as part of the family they’re quite capable of recognizing the fool in
us. He also insists that they’re capable
of celebrating this recognition with a joke now and then. Trixie seemed to be laughing at Dean while he
was setting up mouse traps in his house.
She even backed away from him, insinuating that his tactics were not to
be trusted. Have you ever been laughed
at by a dog?
18.
(p. 57, 59, 210, 226, 235) Consider Trixie’s
“pottying territory preference” even while enduring tummy trouble and insisting
to go on the neighbor’s lawn and not her own.
(p. 70) Dean also proposed that when Trixie left the chicken at the
restaurant, that was tossed to her by another customer, that Trixie seemed to
take pride at having done the right thing. Later, in the book, Koontz discusses
that he believed there “was something unique and significant about Trixie”
after the incident with the grandfather who told him “A wonderful truth about
your dog”. Remember how Trixie seemed “transfixed”
while watching a movie? Or when Trixie uncanny posing skills? Was Trixie exceptional? Or do we tend to see
the exceptional traits only in our own pets that many are unable to see? Or do many of us fail to recognize these
special characteristics?
19.
(p. 64, 90, 72, 87) Being humble about himself
was often seen when Koontz talked about himself. (Examples include bad at throwing, not
mechanically inclined, poor conduct, Christmas present giving) Considering his
accomplishments, do you think Koontz is exceptional?
20.
(p.78) Koontz proposes that the primary purpose
of dogs might be restoring our sense of wonder and to help us maintain it, to
make us consider that we should trust our intuition as they theirs, and to help
us realize that a thing known intuitively can be as real as anything known by
material experience. What do you think a
dog’s primary purpose is?
21.
(p. 81, 176) Koontz is adamant that much of what
we think we know about dog emotion is underestimated. Arguing that these so-called specialists are
handicapped by their education that drives them into ignorance,
dismissing common sense that these creatures have emotions very much like our
own. He discusses this just after Trixie
displayed an obvious realization that the Koontz home was her forever home and before
the story of Trixie clearly depicting (while riding on Gerda’s lap in the car)
that she genuinely felt “this is where I belong”. Discuss animal (dog) emotion and when you’ve
personally witnessed its display.
22.
(p. 98) Koontz, during some pretty intense ball
play with Trixie, was accidently snagged by Trixie’s tooth. After a trip to the ER and many defensive explanations
later, he pleaded with the doctor NOT to file a report for a “dog bite” with
authorities. After Koontz had made his desperate
plea, do you think the doctor filed the report?
23.
(p. 41-2, 103) After a sleepless Fourth of
July night with Trixie, Gerda commented that she “wouldn’t trade the
experience for the world”. Explain what
you think she meant by this. Can you
relate?
24.
(p. 107-9) Dean and Gerda were awakened during
the night by Trixie who had raced down the hall attentive to someone they
couldn’t see. She sat peering up, seemingly
wagging her tail at nothing. The moment
was described as; “…meaningful revealing a special quality that cannot be
easily defined but that was central to this dog’s uniqueness.” Agree?
What is your theory as to why Trixie behaved in such a manner? Was she “enchanted” as they assumed, by something?
25.
(p.112, 113) Creepy “X” seemed to have possessed
some ulterior motives when it came to him having a relationship with the Koontz’s. Trixie, apparently, had him all figured out
in very beginning. Dean claims dogs
study us. Do you believe
dogs have a better judge of character of us than human beings of each other?
26.
(p.132, 134, 140, 143, 145, 146, 150-4, 205) JOY,
WONDER, and GRATITUDE was a central theme in Dean’s story of his dog
Trixie. He believed dogs didn’t necessarily
know the meaning of life, but they were an important step toward the discovery
of the meaning of joy. Even finding joy
in something as simple as a plate of nachos.
He further describes her earnest joyful trick on the pool float, the joy
she found in tennis balls even to the point of possibly learning to “say” the
word, “baw”, the sense of wonder while discovering the world above her in the
sky as well as the world below in the sea.
He believed that this inner joy dogs must experience from their innocence
of such a soul, must be the most exhilarating feeling ever. Koontz considers his time with Trixie as life
changing, awakening a sense of wonder and inspiration. Describe a JOYful experience that inspired
you to make changes within your life.
27.
(p. 146) Koontz claims that “wisdom without
wonder is not true wisdom at all, but only a set of practical skills married to
tactical shrewdness of one degree or another.
Wonder inspires curiosity, and curiosity keeps the mind from becoming sick
with irrational ideologies and stultified with dogma.” He further explains that one’s sense of
wonder is reliant on the “beautiful machine of natural law” that is often dispirited
by perception of the world. Can you
possess WISDOM/WONDER without the other?
28.
(p. 224)” …any dog is remarkably grateful for
each kindness it receives; Gerda and I were grateful for every day this joyous
creature graced our lives. The only wisdom
is humility, which engenders gratitude, and humility is the condition of the
heart essential for us to know peace.” Koontz describes “the remarkable and
constant gratitude that dogs express for what we give them.” Discuss GRATITUDE being a theme.
29.
(p. 152) Do you believe you are a different
person today in having a dog as opposed to if you never have had the
experience?
30.
(p. 153, 156, 158, 165, 176) Dean has often been
accused of anthropomorphizing in his novels about dogs. Does he give excess affection for these creatures? Does God’s grace extend to these
animals? Though dogs’ minds are
different than ours, they possess individuality, self-awareness, and can reason
cause and effect. So, why do we resist the
possibility that they have intuition, experience emotion, and possess intelligence?
31.
(p.178, 183, 205) Dean explains we’re all born
with a TAO, a code of virtuous conduct, a soul. If dogs are aware of mortality, then some
might argue that this would demonstrate intuition. Intuition, in turn could indicate differentiating
between right/wrong, possessing a sense of pride, risking life for another, etc. How much credit should we give them? Do you
believe God has given animals souls? Dean doesn’t talk much about the area of
dog aggression other than tracing all dogs’ faults on humans. How would you further explain dog problems?
32.
(p. 190, 246, 253) GRIEF was also a gentle theme
included in Koontz story about Trixie. He states grief is “…a reminder to
cherish what you love while you have it, so that when it passes, you will have
memories of joy to sustain you.” When
faced with the possibility of Trixie’s biopsy coming back positive for cancer,
Dean prays that if “she must leave us, we be given the strength to cope with
out grief, because her perfect innocence and loyalty and gift for affection constituted
an immeasurable loss.’ After Trixie’s
passing, he writes, “Love and loss are inextricably entwined because we are
mortal and can know love only under the condition that what we love will inevitably
be lost. Discuss GRIEF and its role in the story.
33.
(p. 222) “When we have the deepest of affection
for a dog, we do not possess that love but are possessed by it, and sometimes
it takes us by surprise, overwhelms us.
As quick and agile and strong as a dog may be, as in harmony with nature
and as sure of its place in the vertical of sacred order as it may be a dog is
vulnerable to all the afflictions and misfortunes of this world. When we take a dog into our lives, we ask for
its trust, and the trust is freely given.
We promise, I will always love you and bring you through troubled
times. This promise is sincerely, solemnly
made. But in the dog’s life as in our
own, there come those moments when we are not in control, when we are forced to
acknowledge our essential helplessness.”
Koontz quotes T.S. Elliot; “The only wisdom we can hope to acquire /
Is the wisdom of humility.” Talk about
what this means to you.
34.
(p. 103) “I will always love you and bring
you safely through troubled times.” Koontz
is reminded of his promise to Trixie during the traumatic night of fireworks
and again when Trixie is facing surgery.
Talk about the promises we make to our animals. Are these promises any different to promises
we make to people?
35.
Dean Koontz claimed to have learned many things
from his dog, Trixie. What have you
learned from Trixie?
p. 180 great paragraph about the joy a dog brings
p. 190 paragraph regarding the greatest gift from dogs is
the tenderness they evoke in us…
p. 241 philosophical T.S. Eliot regarding the destiny of one’s
soul
p. 263 Dean’s response to those who comment; “She was only a
dog.”
p. 267-269 ******closing words by author*****
No comments:
Post a Comment