Class IX: A Dog Named Duke

A Dog Named Duke

Introduction:

This is a story of a very happy, enthusiastic sales manager named Chuck Cooper who meets with an accident one night and gets his right side of the body paralyzed. His dog ‘Duke’ helps him gradually in walking and then setting up the targets everyday for the walking exercise and finally helps him in coming out of his paralytic body. In the end, Duke meets with an accident and dies leaving the Hooper family live in his memories. Chuck dedicates his success in work to his beloved dog ‘Duke’.

About Duke:

Duke was a rough-playing Doberman Pinscher, four year old, 23 kilos. His coat was red with a fawn vest. Chuck Hooper had doubts at first about buying him because his wife, Marcy, was not really a dog lover. She's a tiny blonde; Pomeranian was her idea of the right-size dog for a colonial house on a small plot. This Duke needed a hectare. Chuck visited Duke at the kennel several times before he made up his mind. After about three months, he decided he had to have the big Doberman. Duke's appeal for Chuck was his rambunctiousness. It took a long time before Marcy was more than polite to the dog.

Textbook Exercise:

1)    In 1953, Hooper was a favoured young man. Explain.

Ans: Chuck Hooper was a very enthusiastic and always smiling young man. He had a very nice personality, six-feet one inch tall. He used to play for the university foot ball team. On the top of that, he was a zone sales manager for a chemical company. All these aspects made Hooper a favoured young man.

2)    They said that they would create a desk job for Hooper at headquarters.

a)    Who are 'they'?

Ans: ‘They’ refer to the seniors of Hooper who were working for the same chemical company Hooper used to work for.

b)    Why did they decide to do this?

Ans: Hooper met with an accident. It wasn’t possible for him to go to the office as his right side of the body was paralyzed. Also, he was a very dedicated towards his work. The company wanted not to miss such an employee. So, they decided to create a desk job for him.

3)    Duke was an extraordinary dog. What special qualities did he exhibit to justify this? Discuss.

Ans: The very first time, when Chuck came to home from the hospital, Duke, in the excitement, jumped on Chuck, but later realized that something was wrong with his master. From that day onwards, he never did the same thing. On the other hand, he helped his master in getting up from the bed to break the monotonous of his life. Duke somewhere knew that his master needs him. So, he kept on boosting the spirit of his master. Thus, Duke was an extraordinary dog.

4)    What problems did Chuck present when he returned to the company headquarters?

Ans: Chuck wanted to work so hard for a comeback, but he wasn’t still in the condition to do his job i.e. sales manager which demands moving one place to other, and who can work only for an hour a day. So, Chuck presented problems when he returned to the company headquarters.

5)    Why do you think Charles Hooper's appointment as Assistant National Sales Manager is considered to be a tribute to Duke?

Ans: Charles Hooper’s appointment as an Assistant National Sales Manager is considered to be a tribute to Duke because Duke was the motivating force for Charles to break his monotonous life and to keep daily targets for his walk. With the help of Duke, Chuck could do a comeback in a record breaking time, and was appointed as a Assistant National Sales Manager looking at this hard work.

Writing Skills: Writing an article

When a person loses something, he is shocked and gets into a state of denial leading to anger. In such a situation coping well leads to acceptance and a changed way of living in view of the loss. Imagine yourself as Ms. Anna Bella. Taking cues from what happened or might have happened with Hooper, write your views in the form of an article about 'Coping with Loss' in 150-175 words.

COPING WITH LOSS

Ms. Anna Bella

The recently published news of a girl from Canada committing suicide because of depression she suffered from her failure in the elementary exam, has once again shaken the world, and has made everyone think of psychological problems teenagers face in their lives.

The story of Charles Hooper in England which became famous all over the world could be the best example for such teenager for learning how to cope up with loss. The way Chuck had dealt with his half-paralyzed body with the help of his dog Duke is an inspiration to all the people who want to give up. Chuck would have never been come back from his paralyzed state. Sometimes, when your body gets paralyzed, you come at a point where your mind feels the same paralyzed state, and it leads to anger, and further developing suicidal tendencies. Chuck knew that he wasn’t the guy who would sit idle at home and do nothing. Being a University football player and a very famous person in his locality, he wanted to go back again in the crowds of his dear ones though he was shocked from the accident and in the state of denial.

Today’s teenagers feel that even one minor loss in their life is the biggest loss which is exactly not true. They belong to the rush era of 21^st century where everyone wants quick fame and money. This very concept has affected their ideologies. For them, everything is related to either fame or money.

On the other hand, they should understand that Buddha’s philosophy that acceptance is the cure of all the problems. When one understands his strengths and weaknesses, he also understands the reasons for his success and accepts his loss wholeheartedly. Thus, instead of crying over the loss and trying suicide, today’s generation kids should understand that coping up with the situation and having a positive attitude towards life may lead to acceptance and a changed way of living in view of the loss.