48 pages • 1 hour read
Phyllis Reynolds NaylorA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
As in Shiloh, The Ethical Treatment of Animals represents a central focus of Shiloh Season, and the deeper nuances of this issue are reflected in the immoral behavior of the antagonist, Judd, who is callous and cruel toward humans and animals alike. Marty, his family, neighbors, and the law all agree that animals and people should not be abused in any way. Treating animals ethically includes giving them food, shelter, social activity, exercise, and love, and Judd does none of these things, viciously abusing and neglecting his own dogs. Although Marty has saved Shiloh, Judd’s other dogs aren’t lucky enough to find a new, loving home and continue to endure a life of neglect and abuse with Judd. Phyllis Reynolds Naylor brings this issue to the forefront of the narrative in multiple ways. As Marty remarks, “Ma says if [Judd] took the money he spent on beer and spent it on his dogs instead, he’d have a lot happier, healthier animals. Happy and healthy ain’t what interests Judd, though” (66). Thus, Naylor uses indirect language and understated implication to address these serious issues in a way that allows the narrative to remain palatable for younger readers. With this oblique approach, she relies on her readers’ imaginations to fill in the blanks and provide imagery and examples for the abuses that the narrative only hints at.
In connection with this theme, Naylor repeatedly invokes the symbol of chains to represent oppression, mistreatment, fear, and imprisonment. In a literal sense, using chains to restrain dogs is an unethical practice, especially given that Judd only lets his dogs free in order to hunt. Therefore, the chains physically prevent Judd’s dogs from enjoying the freedom to run, and Judd’s cruel behavior denies them the love and trust that they so desperately need. As long as the dogs are chained and harmed, they will continue to be fearful, mean, and wary. Instead of loving their owner and seeing humans as friends, Judd’s dogs view humans as potential threats. Because Judd treats the dogs as tools for hunting rather than the sensitive, living beings that they are, they never experience the kindness, freedom, and compassion that Marty shows to Shiloh. Their miserable condition therefore acts as a wordless testimony to the deep harm that Judd inflicts on those around him.
In addition to abusing his dogs, Judd mistreats every animal he encounters, and almost every scene in which he appears depicts his unethical treatment of living things. For example, he shoots squirrels for fun, terrorizes Marty and Shiloh, and disregards the game warden’s hunting restrictions. Additionally, Shiloh’s fear upon arriving at Judd’s house illustrates the intense abuse that he once suffered at the man’s hands. Shiloh is obviously distressed, and although Marty brings Shiloh along in the hopes of making peace with Judd, he cannot ignore the fact that his plan is risky and puts Shiloh through considerable stress. Thus, his decision to bring Shiloh to his meeting with Judd, while well-intentioned, is ethically murky territory. As Marty tries to assuage his dog’s fear, he also justifies bringing Shiloh to Judd because he knows that he and Dad will always protect Shiloh, even if he cannot explain this to the dog. Ultimately, Shiloh’s presence causes Judd to show the first inklings of becoming a gentler person.
As Marty grapples with the flaws of human nature and Judd’s more problematic qualities, he spends a great deal of time trying to discover how and why people do what they do. As he puts his theories to the test and tries to show Judd Compassion and the Road to Redemption, the narrative makes it clear that Marty has a thoughtful, questioning nature. For most of the novel, he works to dissect and comprehend the underlying reasons for Judd’s cruelty, and his questions are finally answered by Doc Murphy, who likens human nature to an animal’s innate features. As Doc asserts, “Sometimes I figure there’s not all that much difference between a man and an animal. […] I suppose some dogs and some people are born with meanness in them—something in their bloodline, maybe” (27). Doc’s insight helps Marty to realize that everyone is born differently, with their own skills, weaknesses, and experiences that define who they are. This realization leads Marty to dig into Judd’s history and gain a greater understanding of the reasons for Judd’s behavior.
Thanks to Doc’s influence, Marty actively attempts to show Judd compassion and empathy, raising the hope that some form of redemption will be possible for the man. While the narrative never excuses Judd’s behaviors, Naylor does provide a nuanced explanation for the antagonist’s actions. Because Judd was abused in his childhood, he has never known a loving, healthy relationship, and the harsher aspects of his upbringing have had a profoundly detrimental effect on the quality of his adult life. Essentially, Judd’s early trauma has broken him and robbed him of his ability to practice empathy and compassion. While his first instinct is to lash out at those around him, his ignorance of these moral values nonetheless implies that he is capable of redemption if he makes an effort to respond to those who are trying to connect with him.
Thus, Marty’s letters in the ending chapters represent the most critical acts of compassion and empathy in the novel. Though Marty’s family tries to accommodate Judd’s cruelty, and many other neighbors help Judd after his accident, Marty’s letters are raw, honest, and emotional. He shares details about Shiloh to help cheer Judd up and finally writes from his heart about how Shiloh showed empathy and saved Judd’s life. As Marty’s narration states, “[H]ere’s this little dog he kicked and cussed and starved, so scared of Judd he won’t never even cross the bridge […] Yet one night he meets up with Judd’s truck out on the road” (114). Marty’s most honest letter provides the necessary opening, compelling Judd to take the first steps toward changing into a kinder, more redeemable character.
The message of Discerning Right from Wrong is deeply ingrained in the story and is a dominant aspect of Marty’s thoughts from the very beginning, for the boy often agonizes over past decisions and questions whether he has done the right thing. Because Marty wants to be a decent, moral person, he strives to do what is just, but his problems have complex variables, and as a result, his instinctive solutions are sometimes based on opinion and emotion rather than logic. For instance, at the end of the last novel, his intense desire to save Shiloh forced him into the risky decision to blackmail Judd, and he ruminates on this decision often throughout Shiloh Season as the threats from Judd escalate. In the end, he justifies his decision by stressing his love for Shiloh and his deep commitment to the dog’s safety and well-being, even though he knows that his choice was morally gray at best. Notably, Marty doesn’t realize that the dilemma of discerning right from wrong cannot always be simplified into objective truths. As he matures, he gains a more nuanced perspective on the thorny ethical issues that challenge him.
Marty also develops his questioning, curious nature by examining all angles of his moral quandary and testing the limits of his honesty. Because Marty has been taught that honesty is the best policy, he often feels guilty for keeping secrets from his family. Still, he often chooses to be less than honest by lying through omission. Marty’s thoughts about telling the truth surface often in a variety of scenarios, and as he ruminates on his past decisions, his frustrated tone becomes immediately apparent, for he states, “I done something I shouldn’t have done, but if I had it to do over, I don’t know that I’d do any different” (88). Numerous other examples haunt Marty’s thoughts, and he initially holds a child’s simplistic view that there is only one “right” thing to do in any given situation. It is only through the tumultuous events of the novel and his conversations with Doc that he comes to realize that the right or wrong decision changes in every unique situation.
Doc Murphy illustrates this theme and his wisdom in Chapter 13, and the conversation highlights his positive influence over Marty. Because Doc has experienced many difficult ethical situations as a doctor, he concludes, “If folks know what’s right and wrong for themselves, I’ve no quarrel with that. And we’ve all got to obey the law. But […] what’s right in one situation may be wrong in another. You have to decide. That’s the hard part” (92). This lesson is essential for Marty because he must put it into practice at numerous points—especially when he chooses to treat Judd kindly no matter how vilely the man behaves. Thus, Marty regrets his brief wish that Judd would die and actively prays for his recovery, and he eventually tells his dad the secrets he has been keeping. Doc’s wise words therefore have a powerful effect on Marty, and Doc continues to be a friend and mentor by using his sage candor to inspire Marty to change into a more thoughtful, honest boy.
By Phyllis Reynolds Naylor