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Show 547. future might be brighter, STICKEEN If a man would reveal his true character in his behavior toward animals, it was also true that animals often revealed the true kinship of all beings when they became the companions of men. In Stickeen, Muir began to use this analogy in order to look at himself from an external perspective. A small dog could provide a new perspective on Muir and on all mortals faced with the risks of life. Even if this dog story was a tale for children, in it he began to question the value of his early adventures, for himself and for the others he led into the wilderness. He claimed that the story caused him as much pain as any he ever wrote, and perhaps this was the reason. As a leader of men, he had come to know the heavy responsibility for those who followed, but perhaps he had forgotten what it meant to be young and afraid. If the Muir of the narrative was an experienced, taciturn mountaineer, so was the dog who accompanied him. This, he thought, was surprising in so small an animal, but perhaps we all have more courage than we suspect. Stickeen was "cold as a glacier," and his character was hidden in his depths. He was a "true child of the wilderness, holding the even tenor of his hidden life with the silence and serenity of Nature. " Like Muir, Stickeen seemed to bury his true self, but a sensitive observer could see it flashing in his eyes. This dog who |