52 pages • 1 hour read
Alexandra FullerDon't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight
Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 2001A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 9-16Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 9 Summary: “The Burma Valley”
The Fullers decide to relocate from Karoi to a farm in the Burma Valley in eastern Rhodesia. Unlike the fertile west, the Burma Valley is renowned for its harsh conditions: intense heat, humidity, and diseases like malaria. Despite this, the Fullers are captivated by the view and envision a prosperous future on the farm.
They pack up all their belongings, including their pets, and embark on a long and arduous journey across Rhodesia. After stopping at a luxurious air-conditioned hotel, they arrive at their new unassuming, large, army-like home, where they stay until the end of the war of independence.
Chapter 10 Summary: “Chimurenga, 1974”
The Burma Valley sits in the middle of civil unrest in Rhodesia and neighboring Mozambique. The children, curious yet fearful, discuss the gruesome rumors of rebel brutality against white settlers. To safeguard against threats, the family fortifies their farm with a fence and guard dogs. Special convoys, equipped with mine-detecting vehicles, escort farmers like the Fullers into town.
The dangers of the war remain ever-present. During an assembly, a policeman lectures students about mine dangers, using graphic imagery to scare them. While driving with their mother, Alexandra and Vanessa witness the gruesome aftermath of a bus explosion caused by a landmine. Hostility from Africans is palpable as the Fullers travel around town. An African woman vigorously beats a gong to warn others of their passing, prompting the family to remain vigilant, aware of potential enemies constantly watching them.
Chapter 11 Summary: “War: 1976”
Tim and Nicola both enlist as police reservists. Tim embarks on 10-day patrols in the bush, while Nicola serves at the police station. Alexandra observes her father’s gun-cleaning rituals and pre-mission preparations. Despite his attempts to blend in, she fears for his safety.
At the station, Alexandra accompanies her mother, witnessing the daily activities. She becomes curious about the prisoners held in the nearby jail and watches them through the slots on the door. After a nap, Alexandra and her mother share tea, and her mother reads to her. The world of the story offers a welcome escape from the harsh realities of the war. Despite Nicola’s struggles with shooting accurately, she successfully trains her horses to not fear gunshots.
Chapter 12 Summary: “Dog Rescue”
During breakfast, the family dogs discover a snake in the pantry, prompting Nicola to repeatedly shoot at the snake to protect them. The dogs are temporarily blinded by the snake’s venom, so they rush to the vet, braving the dangers of the road without a male escort. Later, Tim criticizes Nicola’s shooting skills, but Alexandra defends her mother.
Chapter 13 Summary: “Vanessa”
Alexandra reveals she and her sister, Vanessa, have experienced sexual assault. Known for her striking beauty, Vanessa often faces harassment from older men. While their parents are out, a drunken guest makes unwanted advances, forcefully kissing and touching both sisters and dragging Vanessa into a bedroom. When Vanessa leaves the room, they seek refuge in a neighbor’s house until their parents return.
Despite reporting the guest’s actions, their parents downplay its seriousness. Vanessa’s demeanor noticeably changes as she withdraws into herself, becoming distant and detached. Both sisters undergo firearm training for self-defense, though their parents and friends doubt Vanessa’s abilities. Alexandra recognizes her sister’s inner strength, believing she is ready to defend herself if necessary. During target practice, Vanessa displays remarkable shooting skills, yet remains emotionally detached despite Alexandra’s excitement and praise.
Chapter 14 Summary: “Missionaries: 1975”
Alexandra prays for a sibling during an unexpected visit from two missionaries at their farm. Her sister, Olivia, is born the following year. The missionaries engage in awkward conversation and tea-drinking with Alexandra’s mother. Despite attempts at evangelism, the men are disarmed by the unconventional hospitality and lack of interest. Alexandra attributes Olivia’s conception to her prayer. Shortly after her sister’s birth, Alexandra begins boarding school.
Chapter 15 Summary: “Olivia: January 1978”
Alexandra and Olivia are left at a family acquaintance’s shop while their parents run errands. While Alexandra is mesmerized by the store’s treasures, Olivia wanders outside and drowns in a pond. The family grapples with profound grief, and Alexandra feels overwhelming guilt over her sister’s death.
The community organizes a funeral and gathering to mourn Olivia’s passing. Despite attempting to get away on holiday, the family is unable to escape Olivia’s memory. Nicola’s heavy alcohol misuse worsens after Olivia’s death, for which Alexandra feels indirectly responsible.
Chapter 16 Summary: “Afterwards”
After Olivia’s passing, the family’s joy dissipates. Nicola and Tim become distant and neglectful, consumed by grief and alcohol. They disregard safety precautions and curfews, driving recklessly through dangerous terrain. Witnessing her parents’ drunken despair, Alexandra grapples with guilt as she believes her actions, or lack thereof, caused Olivia’s death and now the unraveling of her family.
Chapters 9-16 Analysis
Fuller depicts Rhodesia during the Bush War, exploring The Impact of Colonialism and War. Through detailed accounts of everyday activities in the war-torn region, the author describes the fear and uncertainty that permeated daily existence. The sound of mines going off, the ubiquitous presence of guns in the household, and school safety assemblies are reminders of the ever-present conflict. Such a violent reality is normalized, as depicted in the children’s casualness in singing songs about the war. As a symbol of the war’s reach, Fuller often describes the harshness of the Rhodesian landscape (See: Symbols & Motifs). The Burma Valley, isolated and unforgiving, reflects the dangers that surround the family. There is no escape from the war’s presence, as it permeates every aspect of their lives, both geographically and psychologically.
Fuller portrays tragedy through a child’s perspective. Life becomes unpredictable and precarious, constantly overshadowed by danger. Alexandra’s anxiety surrounding her father’s departures for missions and the forced habituation to the sounds of gunfire suggest that her childhood was prematurely disrupted. Witnessing a bombed bus replaces childhood wonder with an awareness of war’s brutality, which Vanessa attempts to capture in a childlike way, describing the victims as “like people who have just had a big surprise” (58). Personal tragedies within the Fuller household further emphasize Vanessa and Alexandra’s eroding innocence.
The aftermath of the girls’ sexual assaults exposes Tim and Nicola’s inability to provide parental support. Shrouded in silence and lacking a safe space for expression, the trauma remains unspoken. Alexandra is left with a “bad taste in her mouth” and a “sick feeling in her stomach” (73), a physical manifestation of the emotional turmoil she cannot express, and Nicola’s dismissal of her daughters’ experience isolates the sisters. Instead of being comforted, they are left to navigate the aftermath of the incident alone. Just as the war stole their sense of security, their parents‘ dismissal strips away their trust in the people who should have protected them.
The aftermath of Olivia’s death shatters the trust Vanessa and Alexandra had left in their parents as their protectors. The dissonance between the constant threat of war and the unexpected nature of her sister’s death complicates the theme of The Complexities of Personal History. Unlike the ever-present danger of the war, Olivia’s death shakes the family’s sense of security in a way they couldn’t anticipate, leaving them to deal with profound shock and disbelief. This loss plunges Tim and Nicola into a spiral of grief. Their grief is manifested in reckless behavior that exposes Alexandra and Vanessa to unnecessary dangers, such as reckless travel, disregard for curfews, and a general apathy toward their daughters’ safety: “Sometimes Mum and Dad are terrifying now. They don’t seem to see Vanessa and me in the backseat” (95). Tim and Nicola’s numbness results in Alexandra and Vanessa not only struggling with grief but also with feeling unsafe while with their primary caretakers.
Further complicating the family dynamic is Alexandra’s sense of responsibility over Olivia’s death. Her wish for a sibling, coupled with the fact that she was the one accompanying Olivia on the day of her death, results in a misplaced guilt that intertwines with her grief. This self-blame festers within young Alexandra, hindering her ability to cope with the loss and creating a wedge in her relationship with her mother. Nicola’s deteriorating mental health becomes another source of torment for Alexandra, who, on witnessing her mother’s despair, connects it to her own perceived role in Olivia’s death.
