33 pages • 1 hour read
Dav PilkeyDog Man: Grime and Punishment
Fiction | Graphic Novel/Book | Middle Grade | Published in 2020A 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 11-13 and AfterwordChapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 11 Summary: “Love vs. Hate: Who Will Win?”
Li’l Petey and Molly brainstorm about what they love. They realize that they all love drawing. They take turns drawing on Munchy, who is bent over drinking from the pond; 80-HD draws a heart, Molly draws a squid, and Li’l Petey draws Petey.
Molly compliments Munchy on his new tattoos. Shocked, Munchy drops Flippy, the fish teacher, whom he had still been holding. Flippy instructs all of the members of the class to come out of hiding and draw things they love on Munchy. Munchy is happy with his new decorations. Molly invites him to come to their comic club. Munchy leaves happily. Li’l Petey concludes that love won. Petey concedes that it did but says that love merely got lucky. Crud appears. Li’l Petey says that stopping Crud is up to Petey.
Chapter 12 Summary: “The Ultimate Showdown”
Crud throws the van filled with the cops and reporter. Petey feels that he is not up to the task of defeating Crud, as he cannot love like Li’l Petey. Li’l Petey suggests that instead of trying to love, his father could just try to let go of his hate. Petey confronts Crud, addresses him as Dad, and tells him that he forgives him. Outraged, Crud takes off his Motor Brain and returns to being Grampa. He angrily tells Petey that he wasn’t even there (in Petey’s childhood), so he doesn’t need his forgiveness: “You don’t get to forgive me” (200). Petey picks up Li’l Petey and they leave.
Molly and Flippy manage to magically suspend the cop truck so that it doesn’t crash, saving the people inside, including Dog Man and Chief.
Chapter 13 Summary: “Three Endings”
Chapter 13 presents three endings to the story, which tie up the storylines of different characters. In the first one, “Grampa’s Story,” Grampa angrily kicks the Motor Brain away after the confrontation with his son, Petey. Big Jim finds it and puts it back on; he becomes Snug again. Snug sees Grampa; he declares that he “love[s] kitty” and begins chasing him.
In the ending to the second story, “Dog Man’s Story,” Dog Man, Chief, Mayor, and the other cops in the truck emerge safely. Mayor is still angry with Dog Man. Suddenly, someone arrives to tell Mayor that his house is on fire. Mayor runs into his burning home to save Mr. Snookums, his beloved teddy bear. Dog Man runs in after him, pulls Mayor from the burning building, and then coughs up Mr. Snookums, who he also saved. Mayor is overwhelmed with gratitude and praises Dog Man.
In the third story ending, “Li’l Petey’s Story,” Petey takes Li’l Petey to see his mother’s grave. Petey reflects that his mother lives on in himself and in Li’l Petey. Li’l Petey picks up a leaf and asks whether she is in that too; Petey says that it is Li’l Petey’s story and that he can “color it any way [he] want[s]” (222).
Afterword Summary: “Notes”
In the notes section, Pilkey explains the inspiration behind parts of the story. Li’l Petey’s speech to his father, about the importance of letting go of hate, was drawn from poet Maya Angelou’s quote, “Hate, it has caused a lot of problems in this world, but it has not solved one yet” (224). Pilkey also drew on a quote from Carrie Fisher, “Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die,” as inspiration for Chapter 12. Part 3 of Chapter 13 was inspired by Mary Elizabeth Frye’s poem “Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep.”
In a final section, titled “How 2 Draw,” Pilkey gives step-by-step instructions on how to draw Catman, Melvin the Frog, Sarah, and Snug. He provides instructions on how to create Munchy using arts and crafts.
Chapters 11-13 and Afterword Analysis
Molly and Li’l Petey vanquish Munchy by channeling love to overcome evil. This illustrates The Power of Forgiveness and Love. Pilkey suggests that people are stronger when they approach the world lovingly, rather than with anger or bitterness. Li’l Petey exemplifies this approach by asking “Well—what do we love?” when he and Molly face the threat of Munchy (182). Realizing that they love to draw, Molly, Li’l Petey, and their friends draw on Munchy: “Munchy was so embarrassed, he let go of Flippy and covered his shame” (187). Channeling love saves Flippy from the clutches of Munchy.
Furthermore, Molly convinces Munchy that his new, tattooed look is great and invites him to their Comic Club. His excited response, “YAAAAAA,” illustrates that Molly and Li’l Petey’s intervention changed Munchy from an evil and rampaging character to a happy and positive one (191). The book implies that Munchy is excited to engage with the children at the next comic meeting and that he will become a friend of Molly, Li’l Petey, and their friends.
Pilkey suggests that, although it can be difficult, we should approach even those who are antagonistic and angry with kindness and love. Previously, Petey has been motivated by his hatred of his father, Grampa, but Li’l Petey urges Petey to “let go of [his] hate” (197). Grampa—shocked at Petey’s declaration of forgiveness—takes off the Motor Brain, which makes him shrink back into Grampa’s much smaller self. This illustrates Pilkey’s point that hatred and anger create more hatred and anger, whereas forgiveness and love are de-escalating forces. Petey had previously fed into his toxic dynamic with his father by being angry, implying The Corrosive Impact of Hatred and Resentment. After Petey tells his father that he forgives him, Petey’s expression is one of calmness, happiness, and peace.
Li’l Petey, who is kind, loving, and forgiving, again operates as a foil to his grandfather, Grampa, who acts angrily and vindictively. Petey operates in a space in between these characters; he is a dynamic character who changes throughout the course of the novel. Initially, he is motivated by hatred and anger and is more similar to his father, Grampa. Petey experiences an important shift during these chapters; Li’l Petey inspires him to approach the world with more love and to let go of anger and hate. This inspires Petey to forgive his father.
Munchy’s transformation emphasizes the power of love to vanquish forces of evil. It also alludes to The Value of Creativity and Silliness. Li’l Petey, Molly, and the other kids use creativity, silliness, and fun to vanquish Munchy. The success of their strategy—Munchy lets go of Flippy and leaves—underscores the transformative power of creativity and silliness. Pilkey implies that they have the power to turn destructive forces into joyous creations and to bring immeasurable happiness.
This speaks to Pilkey’s personal history, where he struggled to focus and succeed in a traditional schooling environment due to ADHD and dyslexia. His desire to foster creativity in others is evident in his “How 2 Draw” chapter at the conclusion of his novel. Here, he continues to present creativity as a positive force that can foster immense happiness and inclusion.
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