On page 30, Melson says that we “can count on these animal companions to dispense affection, relieve childhood isolation, and give our offspring the quality time that we are too exhausted or distracted to provide”. Do we agree with this? Or is this a gross generalization?
On page 40, Melson mentions that there are “even clinical accounts of pets mirroring anorexia, depression, and other disorders in their human owners”. Is this possible to quantify? What about projection?
Does Flossie and the Fox feel like a re-telling of Little Red Riding Hood? Or is it its own story with few similarities?
I felt like Pax, and the “voices” of the foxes, felt more natural/authentic. What made it stand out, compared to Beautiful Joe and Black Beauty?
Very strong and probing questions, Lacy, and I can’t wait to tackle them. I appreciate your skepticism about some of Melson’s claims…or the sweeping nature of some of them. We’ll definitely talk through the relationship between Flossie and Little Red Riding Hood…I think it’s complicated. I love the idea of talking about Pax in reference to Beautiful Joe and Black Beauty. CH