83 pages • 2 hours read
Gordon KormanNo More Dead Dogs
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2000A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Themes
Honesty Resolves Conflicts
No More Dead Dogs centers around the idea that telling the truth is superior to lying. For Wallace, honesty “wasn’t just the best policy; it was the only one” (2), and if other characters in the story took this approach, many struggles could have been easily avoided. Through Wallace telling the truth, the school newspaper, and Trudi’s attitude toward herself, No More Dead Dogs shows how honesty is the best approach.
Throughout most of the book, Wallace tells the truth, at least as he understands it. His candor endears people to him because they know what to expect, even if it isn’t always what they want to hear, and Wallace feels at peace with himself because he knows he’s speaking his true feelings. Wallace tells only one lie throughout the entire book—at the end when he can’t bring himself to tell Rachel that Dylan attacked the play. Wallace lied here to protect Rachel’s feelings, but her feelings ended up getting hurt anyway. If he’d told the truth, then Rachel would have hurt feelings and the true culprit’s identity. By lying, Wallace hurts her twice—once when she thinks Wallace really did betray the play and again when she learns it was her brother.
The kid who runs the school newspaper twists the truth in order to make stories sound more interesting, showing the harm being intentionally misleading can have. The newspaper articles spark distrust about Wallace’s reasons for leaving the football team, as well as about the attacks on the play. There is already little information about the attacks, and the newspaper’s half-truths only add to the suspicion and uncertainty. The twists on Wallace’s decisions and actions make both the drama club and football team wonder about Wallace’s true motives, when Wallace really is just doing what he thinks is best in all situations. The lies perpetuated by the newspaper cause upheaval where Wallace’s truths settle disputes.
Trudi lies to herself throughout the book. She wants to believe she understands her feelings because she reads magazines, but she only ends up confusing herself and settling on whatever truths she wishes were real. As Wallace gets more involved in the play, Trudi’s crush on him grows until she convinces herself they’re a couple. In reality, they are no such thing, but Trudi’s internal lies become her truth. She unwittingly gives the school newspaper ammunition for a false story about Wallace and Trudi’s nonexistent relationship, which sews even more discord. If Trudi was honest with herself, she wouldn’t need to build up false truths in her mind, and she would speak more truthfully, avoiding misunderstandings.
Wallace’s single lie, the school newspaper, and Trudi’s inner confusion cause more strife than they fix. When characters tell the truth, there is less fighting, but when they lie (intentionally or otherwise), discord occurs between groups that otherwise have no reason to be at odds. Where dishonest behavior allows conflict to thrive, telling the truth resolves struggles and doesn’t allow them to fester in the first place.
You Don’t Need to Be the Best to Be Happy
School and society put pressure on people to do their best. This leads to an attitude of perfectionism and can cause people to believe they need to be the best in order to be happy and satisfied with their lives. As seen through the character arcs of Mr. Fogelman, Rachel, and Cavanaugh, No More Dead Dogs suggests that we don’t need to be the best at something in order to find satisfaction.
Mr. Fogelman begins the book frustrated. Several years ago, he wrote a play that had an off-Broadway run, and being an English teacher who directs a play for middle schoolers seems like a step backwards. As a result, he wants the play of Old Shep, My Pal to be the absolute best it can be, and he believes no one can do it justice like he can. When the kids end up liking Wallace’s suggestions, Mr. Fogelman feels threatened because Wallace has no experience with theater or writing. As a result of Wallace taking over, Mr. Fogelman gets involved with the Dead Mangoes, which both lets him relive his joy of playing music as well as realize that he doesn’t have to be the best writer/director in the world. Wallace’s version of the play is better for the middle school setting, and Mr. Fogelman learns that it’s all right to share the spotlight.
Similar to Mr. Fogelman, Rachel gets caught up in the idea that she has to be the best. She writes letters to famous actors like Julia Roberts because she wants to elevate herself to that level and not feel stuck as an amateur actress. Rachel initially dislikes Wallace’s suggestions because Wallace is a football player with no knowledge of theater. She is sure Mr. Fogelman’s professional credentials make him superior to Wallace in every way where the play is concerned, and she thinks aligning herself with someone of a higher caliber will allow her to be the best. As the play improves under Wallace’s attention, however, Rachel learns that professionalism isn’t the only quality that makes something good, and she no longer feels like she has no choice but to sacrifice everything to be the best.
Being the best doesn’t only apply to theater. The year before, Cavanaugh stopped talking to Wallace because Wallace stole what Cavanaugh felt was his glory and purpose. Cavanaugh defines himself as a star player for whom football is his only way to stand out, and for him “even the championship was a disappointment if he couldn’t be the hero” (129). As Cavanaugh watches Wallace become more involved in the play and sees that Wallace isn’t out for glory or recognition, he realizes that everything isn’t a competition. He can be good but doesn’t always have to be the best.
Mr. Fogelman, Rachel, and Cavanaugh’s journeys show each coming to terms with their perfectionism. They all want to be the best at what they do and realize they don’t have to give up happiness in pursuit of being the best. They can enjoy themselves while striving toward being better, which is more meaningful than being the best because there is always room for improvement.
Forced Adherence Leads to Poor Performance and Resentment
People’s enthusiasm wanes when they feel like they have to do something, especially if they have to do it in a way they dislike. While forcing something on someone may get the task done, it will not be done as well as if that person feels excited about it. As Mr. Fogelman says about the play, “if you force the students to fit into the play, it’ll come out lifeless and boring” (134), and the same goes for most things. No More Dead Dogs illustrates this concept through Wallace taking over the play, Mr. Fogelman’s attitude toward the book version of Old Shep, My Pal, and the football team feeling like they need Wallace when they don’t.
Even before Wallace’s involvement, the drama kids weren’t enthusiastic about Mr. Fogelman’s version of Old Shep, My Pal, but they went along with it for their love of theater and desire to be in the show. Once Wallace starts making suggestions and the kids realize Wallace’s version is better and more fun, they lose any lingering enthusiasm for the old version. Wallace’s ideas make the play modern and something the kids are excited about. They no longer feel forced to perform a play they don’t love, and as a result, enthusiasm grows. The novel implies that Mr. Fogelman’s version of the play would not have had anywhere near the same energy as Wallace’s version and would not have been sold out.
Early in the novel, Mr. Fogelman forces his opinions about the book Old Shep, My Pal on Wallace. Rather than acknowledge that Wallace’s report meets the requirements and simply shows a different opinion, Mr. Fogelman becomes determined to make Wallace enjoy the book and write a positive review of the book. Mr. Fogelman’s attempt to force his personal opinions on a student, rather than letting a different opinion be a catalyst for discussion and learning, is indicative of his need to be in control—something we also see in his initial directing of the play.
As a result of Mr. Fogelman forcing Wallace to be involved with the play, Wallace resents Old Shep, My Pal. His earlier comments about the play may have been less about making the show better and more about showing his dislike of the play. When the play starts to change, Mr. Fogelman stops forcing his opinion on Wallace, which leads to a better relationship and character growth for Mr. Fogelman.
Wallace’s winning touchdown the year before made the football team place importance upon him that doesn’t exist. That was the only touchdown Wallace made the entire year, but it’s singular importance (securing the championship) elevated Wallace’s status on the team, even though they never relied on him for anything before. When the team starts losing in the current season, they force the blame for their poor performance on Wallace because they want to believe there is a simple solution to their problem. Forcing Wallace into the position of savior drives Wallace away and makes the team play progressively worse.
The characters of No More Dead Dogs are forced toward opinions and statuses they neither want nor agree with. They become less interested in the things they are forced into, and the play and football team suffer as a result. Once the characters are no longer forced, they enjoy themselves, and outcomes become more positive, showing how forcing something does not make it better.
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