48 pages • 1 hour read
Cynthia KadohataCracker
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2005A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
Ambition for Greatness
At the beginning of the novel, Rick is thought of by schoolteachers and his family as someone destined to achieve very little. Angry at this assumption, Rick dreams of greatness in spite of the naysayers in his life. In particular, Rick clearly remembers a teacher saying to him, “[Y]ou’re a generalist, Richard. Some people like your sister are born to be specialists. Others are born to be generalists if they apply themselves […] which you don’t” (32). Rick is contrasted with his intelligent and high-achieving sister, who is studying mathematics at university and is praised by their community as someone who is destined to go far. Rick, on the other hand, is mistakenly assumed to be unambitious and uninterested in success.
Rick’s father explains that Rick is a “good, strong, well-mannered boy” who will run the family hardware store (29). Instead of being flattered by his father’s description of his manners and strength, Rick feels that this description is condescending. He is frustrated by his reputation; he believes that he is destined for more, but that school has not allowed him to demonstrate his abilities. Rick remembers the feeling of saving a six-year-old boy by pushing him out of the way of an oncoming bus, saving the boy’s life. This moment “stood out with clarity in Rick’s mind” (31). On the other hand, Rick’s days working at the family hardware store, which he is destined to inherit, “dulled in comparison” (31). This illustrates that Rick is unafraid of dangerous situations and is drawn to act as a protector to others. The war provides an opportunity for Rick to prove himself in this regard. Rick longs to be viewed as a respected specialist, and his ambition for greatness extends to include Cracker as well; he lands in Vietnam and determinedly hopes they will “become the best scout dog team in Vietnam” (109). Along with ambition, he approaches his work with optimism and patience, always believing that he and Cracker can make it to the top. With this, the novel illustrates that a positive outlook can help one achieve greatness.
Rick begins to achieve his ambition when he and Cracker are put to the test, leading soldiers into “hot” areas of the jungle where Vietcong soldiers and traps are known to be hidden. The respectful nods Rick receives after he and Cracker successfully identify a punji pit and hidden sniper illustrate their growing esteem in the eyes of other soldiers: “Rick and Cracker had racked up a lot of respect points today” (157). Rick and Cracker’s performance as specialists is tested again when they are teamed with Special Forces for a prison break in Cambodia. Rick, referencing his skeptical math teacher, views these men as “superspecialists.” It is an important moment in Rick’s development that he performs admirably among these highly esteemed soldiers; he proves himself an equal in skill and bravery and, therefore, cements his own self-concept as a specialist worthy of admiration: “Camel shook his hand. ‘You watched our back. You’re a good man. I’ll make sure to put in a good word for you and Cracker’” (201). Rick proves himself to others, but most importantly, he proves to himself that he is a talented and brave handler.
His growing estimation of himself as a specialist who applies himself arises again in the hospital when he mobilizes medical and Army personnel in the search for Cracker: “[I]f that wasn’t a specialist, there wasn’t any such thing. If that wasn’t applying himself, what was?” (258). His efforts prove successful, but his separation from Cracker and the horrors of war help Rick realize that greatness isn’t as fulfilling as he thought. In the end, having achieved his life’s ambition, he decides Cracker’s quiet love and companionship are all he needs to feel great.
Companionship and Loyalty
Rick embarks on a journey to prove himself as a brave and capable dog handler, but he learns that the companionship and loyalty that he and Cracker share are far more important than esteem and success. Cracker’s capacity for loyalty first appears in the exposition through her relationship with her original owner, Willie. Cracker is emotionally attuned to Willie, and their daily routines are inextricably linked: “[S]he always knew when he was coming home, even when he was early” (15). Cracker’s love for Willie is evident, and their separation devastates both of them.
As a result of her love for Willie and her resentment at being abruptly relocated, Cracker’s loyalty to Rick is hard-won. Cracker’s initial ambivalence and aggression are illustrated in Rick’s initially unsuccessful attempts to bond with her: “[H]e cracked the gate open and she lunged” (37). Cracker resents Rick’s attempts to form a connection with her. Rick must work hard to earn her trust, visiting her, bringing her treats, training her with love and patience, and advocating for her not to be “reintegrated” (rehomed to a civilian family or put down). Eventually, Rick earns her adoration and obedience, even superseding Willie in Cracker’s heart, as is evident in Cracker’s loving reflection about Rick compared to Willie: “[Willie had] been her best friend. But she and Rick had something else, something bigger” (77). That sense of something bigger comes from the work Rick and Cracker do together, which Cracker, although she doesn’t fully understand, knows is “important work” (59). Cracker relishes completing this work as she is an intelligent dog who thrives in an environment of strict discipline and challenging training: “Cracker’s favorite part of her new life was when they all started going out into the field and finding men hiding in bushes, guns buried in holes, and anything that smelled or sounded wrong” (59). Importantly, Rick teaches Cracker to sense and indicate hidden pits, mines, or strings and signal any hiding humans. In turn, Rick must carefully monitor Cracker’s reactions once they begin work in Vietnam: “[H]e had to interpret Cracker exactly, had to trust what each flick of her ears meant” (149). Their work together, which brings each satisfaction and success, depends on trusting each other completely; this mutual loyalty and confidence further strengthens their bond.
Rick’s success with Cracker in Vietnam allows him to achieve his dream of being a respected specialist who is held in high esteem by his peers. However, Rick realizes that “Cracker was all that mattered” (292). Once Cracker is separated from him in the jungles of Vietnam, Rick realizes that their love for each other is the most important part of his life. This reaffirms the importance of the pair's companionship and builds toward the climactic relief of Cracker and Rick’s reunion in America. While Rick survives his wartime injuries, the book’s happy ending only comes with them beginning their new life together, juxtaposed with Twenty and Cory’s loss of their beloved dogs.
War and Conflict
The majority of the novel’s action takes place in the Army bases and jungles of Vietnam (and, briefly, Cambodia). Therefore, the majority of the plot immerses the reader in the chaotic and stressful world of the Vietnam War. In suspense-filled scenes, Rick and Cracker navigate “hot” stretches of jungle; it is their responsibility to identify enemy troops and traps, such as the punji pit composed of “sharpened bamboo sticks” that “stick up from the ground and angled upwards from the sides” (152). Further emphasizing the horror of these pits, the reader learns that “the points of the sticks were brown, probably covered with human feces so that they would not only stab you, but infect you as well” (152). Kadohata draws readers’ attention to the horrors waiting for soldiers in the jungle, which could always be a single step away. She depicts the immense pressure of guerilla warfare in Rick’s reaction to Cracker indicating that there is a trap immediately ahead: “Rick felt so shocked, he retched” (150). This illustrates the mounting pressure and stress he feels by being responsible for his fellow soldiers.
To mirror this pressure, Kadohata structures the plot as a series of rapid-fire climaxes, giving readers little opportunity to decompress from the action. Rick’s mission with the Special Forces operation in Cambodia is an especially good example. Rick is almost killed—“[S]uddenly he was thrown to the ground, watching a man lift a rifle and aim it at him” (198)—but he is saved when Cracker rips the man’s throat out. The group then runs for their lives while being pursued by Vietcong soldiers. The reader vicariously experiences stress and suspense through this action. Rick is immediately plunged back into a high-pressure situation when, back at base, he is immediately sent back into battle. Mirroring the reader’s surprise at the unconventionally sustained narrative tension, “Rick couldn’t believe that ‘all available men’ meant someone who’d just returned from rescuing four Special Forces soldiers and had barely slept for days” (203). Rick’s ability to deal with the stressful volatility of war is significantly impaired by his physiological and psychological exhaustion. When Tristie is killed trying to save Twenty, Rick feels distressed and confused: “[S]omething about the triumph of the Special Forces mission mixed with the horror of seeing blood spurting from Tristie made Rick think he might be losing his mind” (206). Horrified, Rick screams, “[W]hat the HELL is going on?” (206). Rick’s cry expresses the distressing and traumatic nature of warfare.
The novel also illustrates the societal tensions caused by war. The conflict in Vietnam between the Vietcong and the South Vietnamese Army, backed by the US Army and their allies, sparks conflict in America over the military intervention. The pilot on Rick’s flight cautions Army personnel: “[T]o avoid incident over your status as Vietnam veterans, you are advised to remove your uniforms before you deplane” (291). This foreshadows Rick, who has no civilian clothing with him and therefore deplanes in his army uniform, being called a “baby killer” by a woman in the airport. The traumatic aftermath of the stressful war is exacerbated for soldiers like Rick, who are abused and criticized for their participation in a government-initiated military intervention. Many personnel were conscripted, and this ire increased their distress over trying to process significant trauma and readjust to civilian life. Kadohata also asserts that the Army does not seem to take good care of its decommissioned soldiers. Cody and Twenty’s negative post-war experience is compounded when they lose their dogs—for Cody, the Army’s decision to leave Bruno in Vietnam is especially cruel. War and conflict bring about the relationships between these men and dogs, but they also take them away and continue to cause them pain.
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By Cynthia Kadohata
