29 pages • 58 minutes read
Roald DahlA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
In “Beware of the Dog,” the setting of the hospital operates on two levels of meaning. On the surface, it represents the physical space where Peter receives medical treatment. However, on a deeper level, the hospital symbolizes the system of power and control that Peter confronts.
The hospital acts as a microcosm of the authoritative institutions that shape individuals’ lives during times of war. The nurse and doctor, in addition to providing medical care, embody the system’s control over Peter’s well-being and his perception of reality. They use their authority as medical professionals, their seemingly pleasant demeanors, and the sense of trust that the institution of the hospital evokes to lull Peter into a sense of false security. They construct a false reality around Peter, which causes him to initially doubt his perception of reality.
Within the context of Modernism, the symbol of the hospital aligns with the movement’s skepticism toward trusted institutions. Hospitals are typically places of healing, care, and helpfulness, but the hospital staff in “Beware of the Dog” are revealed to have an ulterior motive; they aim to heal Peter only so he will be deceived into providing information.
By Roald Dahl
Billy and the Minpins
Billy and the Minpins
Roald Dahl
Boy: Tales of Childhood
Boy: Tales of Childhood
Roald Dahl
Charlie And The Chocolate Factory
Charlie And The Chocolate Factory
Roald Dahl
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator
Roald Dahl
Danny, the Champion of the World
Danny, the Champion of the World
Roald Dahl
Esio Trot
Esio Trot
Roald Dahl
Fantastic Mr Fox
Fantastic Mr Fox
Roald Dahl
George's Marvelous Medicine
George's Marvelous Medicine
Roald Dahl
Going Solo
Going Solo
Roald Dahl
James And The Giant Peach
James And The Giant Peach
Roald Dahl
Lamb To The Slaughter
Lamb To The Slaughter
Roald Dahl
Matilda
Matilda
Roald Dahl
Skin
Skin
Roald Dahl
The BFG
The BFG
Roald Dahl
The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me
The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me
Roald Dahl, Illustr. Quentin Blake
The Landlady
The Landlady
Roald Dahl
The Magic Finger
The Magic Finger
Roald Dahl, Illustr. Quentin Blake
The Twits
The Twits
Roald Dahl
The Way Up To Heaven
The Way Up To Heaven
Roald Dahl
The Witches
The Witches
Roald Dahl