How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
The Philippines had been ravaged by the war and much of the islands was still in ruins. […] It was impossible to walk anywhere without stepping on empty cartridge cases or seeing some part of an exploded shell or mine. (2.25)
Paulsen talks about violence in the worlds of both humans and wild animals.
Quote #2
It is not somehow "politically correct" to hunt, and that is a shame for young boys. (3.3)
What do you think? Is it okay to hunt animals? (What about if you're a—gasp—girl?) Why do you think Paulsen feels that it's a shame to keep kids from learning to hunt? What had it taught him that he thinks is important?
Quote #3
"I lived up in Twin Forks when I was young and was drafted to serve in the Korean War. […] I got wounded and lost the use of my legs." (3.57)
Human-on-human violence is a subtle theme in a few of the book's early chapters, which talk about World War II and the Korean War. Here's a soldier who was very, very seriously injured.
Quote #4
For a time in my life I became a street kid. It would be nice to put it another way but what with the drinking at home and the difficulties it caused my parents I couldn't live in the house. (4.1)
Paulsen never says that his parents were abusive, but it's strongly implied. There was definitely emotional violence—so much so that by age 12 he couldn't even stay at home.
Quote #5
They did not have firearms—but many carried switchblade knives. These groups were predatory, and they hunted the streets at night. (4.6-4.7)
When Paulsen is a teenager, a local gang regularly beats him up and steals his money. At least, they do until Paulsen meets Dirk.
Quote #6
There was a snarling growl that seemed to come from the bowels of the earth, followed by the sound of ripping cloth, screams, and then the fading slap of footsteps running away. (4.25)
This scene, when Dirk the dog appoints himself Paulsen's bodyguard, is amazing. Maybe we should have a dog division of the Secret Service. Dirk is as violent as the gang, but he has an excuse: self-defense and defense of his pal. He's not picking on anybody smaller than he is, either.
Quote #7
The next night Rex would catch the skunk trying to get to the chickens again and kill it in a battle that left the mauled body of the skunk by the granary…. (5.19)
Part of a farm dog's job is to protect the other animals from predators. Sounds like Rex here did a pretty good job. Nature is violent and messy, no doubt about it.
Quote #8
He was on his feet at once, his hair up, his teeth bared. There was no doubt who his enemy was. The wire. He shook his head, dug his feet in and lunged, grabbing at the thing with an iron-jawed death grip. (7.35)
Not all of the violence in the book is heavy. This funny story pitted Fred the dog against his foe, the electric fence. That is one tough dog.
Quote #9
It kept coming and was clearly going to attack, was attacking, when Quincy went for the bear like a fur-covered bullet. (8.39)
The thought of little Quincy fighting a bear is so ridiculous that it's easy to forget the dog and Paulsen's wife were in real danger.
Quote #10
Some complete jerk shot a new border collie pup I had gotten for Josh to train. The pup's name is Walt and he has more or less recovered but it was so stupid and ridiculously violent—the idiot just shot him to see if his d*** gun worked—that it made me sick of the whole human race for a time. (9.30)
Paulsen gives his dogs a pass when they've been violent—they're dogs; it's part of their nature. Senseless violence by humans, on the other hand, is unforgivable, because we have a choice to act that way or not.