Even if Shiloh by Phyllis Reynold Naylor doesn’t make one’s eyes prickle with tears, it might definitely evoke a strong array of emotions. Don’t look at it upon as a simple story for children, for it has more to offer, for the questions it raises are both thought-provoking and deep.
One might assume that Shiloh is just a story about the boy who is kind and hard-working enough to save a dog, but there is more to it. First of all, the novel questions traditional ways of bringing up children such as physical abuse and emotional manipulation. Marty is lucky, for his parents never turn to violence; they prefer to discuss a problem and to find solution later. But not everyone is like Marty’s parents.
Judd, the antagonist of the story, used to be abused by his own father, who thought that there was nothing wrong with beating his son. The worst thing is that Judd approves of such barbarism. Of course, he had never been fond of it when he was a child, but then when he grew up and the memories of his own helplessness evaporated, the man came to a conclusion that his father was right. Judd even believes that he became a really decent person, ignoring the fact that he clearly has problems with anger management and rather strong inclination to sadism. The way he mistreats his dogs and enjoys killing innocent animals just for fun, just because he has a rifle, seems that he needs to prove to everyone that he is not weak anymore.
Marty doesn’t only become fond of the dog over the summer, he grows up too. Readers see his transformation from a just kind-hearted child to a boy who knows what it means to be responsible for his own actions and words. He could have listened to his father’s advice and try to forget about the dog, but he doesn’t. The boy gave his word that he would save the beagle and he stuck to it. Shiloh helps Marty to realize that he matters, that he is not just a child.
Shiloh is a novel that teaches that the world is not black and white as some people like to paint it. It proves that even bad guys might change one day if they want to. It also teaches not to give up on dreams no matter what other people say. Marty’s father constantly reminded the boy of the fact that Shiloh wasn’t the only one mistreated dog in the town, that there were thousands of them, and if one couldn’t save all of them, everything was in vain. But even a small deed matters and even one saved life counts.
