Merriam Webster - an Emotional State or Reaction

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contentment because he represents an image related to happiness and positivity. And if the reader is not a dog owner, they still manage to imagine what it would be like to have a dog like either of these dogs, that talks back or enjoys poetry. This means that they are not overly complex characters and we can immediately understand that they are putting their intelligence to a higher use, compared to the others who remain stagnant as a part of the pack and remain regular dogs, despite the gift that has been bestowed upon them. Furthermore, their contentment does not equate happiness, since they remain in the pack and must abide by the rules of hierarchy and live in fear of Atticus and his enforcers.

Throughout the novel, the writer has made sure to give the reader a balance of seriousness and levity, simplicity and complexity and essentially managing to find a way to reflect enough off of our human nature to get a reaction. From actually wanting Frick and Frack to die because of their cruelty and immorality, which brings forward a sense of shame in the reader, to the devastation of Majnoun’s death, and finally the bittersweet passing of Prince. Human nature being the dispositions and traits of humans, the reader is entertained by these newly intelligent dogs, torn between elevating to another level, or remaining in the same place and not using this gift. The writer manages to make this story about more than just dogs trying to find ways to deal with their newfound intelligence, it becomes about getting in touch with our humanity. While reading this book, the reader projects feelings of happiness, hope, despair and the inexplicable sadness of longing and waiting for someone who will never come back. The writer helps to redefine grief for any dog owner who has ever had to go through the death of a beloved pet, but now from the perspective of the dog, perhaps even deepening the grief, but also deepening the understanding of it.

The novel Fifteen Dogs, by Andre Alexis is a novel of feelings because it raises the question of intelligence equating happiness. If we look at this from the perspective of someone becoming more intelligent, therefore becoming more rational; which means that they would be more likely to use logic over emotion for guidance. Based on this, more intelligence means less emotion, which does not necessarily mean less happiness; it means less emotion, in general. And absence of sadness is not the same as happiness itself, just as an absence of happiness is not the same as sadness. This novel is about more than the simple feeling of happiness and sadness, anger and joy, hate and love. It is about the reader gaining a better understanding of themselves and perhaps even their four-legged companion, through the virtues, qualities and flaws reflected through each one of the newly gifted fifteen characters. So we ask ourselves again, does intelligence equal happiness? Perhaps after accompanying these dogs through their respective path, going through the gut wrenching grief and sadness of each death, we can easily come to the conclusion that ignore is bliss.

Bibliography:

1) “Feeling.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feeling

2) “Intelligence.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intelligence

3) “Human Nature.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/human%20nature

4) “Happiness.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/happiness

5) Alexis, Andre. Fifteen Dogs. Coach House Books, 2015.

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