Introduction:

Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight is a traumatic but intriguing memoir by Alexandra Fuller
that reflects the moment she and her family lived on a farm in Africa. Fuller places the
authentic story of her racist mother’s alcoholism and lost siblings in the context of the
political situation and situation of white colonists. In advance, she recaptures the rage and
love she experienced from her eccentric family and the unbreakable bond between the
continent. The main complexity is presented through her inner conflict regarding her coming
of age and identity shaping. In order to achieve her goal, Alexandra Fuller used several
elements of writing paired with rhetorical devices, especially affluent anecdotes.

Chapter 1: Rhodesia, 1975

The book starts with the two sisters, Bobo and Vanessa going to the bathroom during the
night. This chapter opens with her mom telling their children to not come out during the night
because they might shoot them in an accident. Followed by the description that they always
sleep with loaded guns. It demonstrates the high-tensed circumstances in Rhodesia,
because of the civil war and terrorists. As Bobo and Vanessa go back to their rooms,
Vanessa scares Bobo by saying “There’s a terrorist under your bed, I can see him”, and
Bobo starts to cry. This contrast between typical childhood fears and the very real dangers
they are exposed to highlights the harsh realities. It further underscores the loss of their
innocence, and the psychological trauma they endure while growing up in such a challenging
environment.

Chapter 2: Getting There: Zambia, 1987

Throughout the text, the author continuously questions her essence; Where I am from
originally? This chapter is significant in the context of the main complexity that the author is
discussing in this book. Before independence, the color of a student's skin determined which
school they would go to. The year Fuller turned 11, the war was over. And since then there
have been mixed groups of students going to the same school. The blacks laughed at her
because she was the ‘wrong’ color because she was ‘White-African’. Fuller claims the
complex nature of her own identity by the juxtaposition of the factors that complete people’s
identity. It includes her own nationality, the nationality of her parents, and historical
experiences and social perceptions implying that her identity is multifactored and layered.
The last question “What does that make me?” is the core question that she asks herself and
delivers this idea of “What is my identity?” to the audience. Serene description of the evening
and morning before heading to the school varies with the drunkenness of her mother. This
contrast highlights the neglect and unstable nature of the family's life in Africa. While the
evening and morning may start off peacefully and calmly, the mother's drinking problem
disrupts.

Chapter 3: Chimurenga: Zambia, 1999

The author highlights her mother’s racism (“If we could have kept one country white-ruled it
would be an oasis, a refuge.”), and gives the readers the context and expected reaction
towards the story that she will tell;

Actual story:
Chapter One: The War
Chapter Two: Dead Children
Chapter Three: Insanity
Chapter Four: Being Nicola Fuller of Central Africa”

Reaction from the audience:

Chapter One: Delight
Chapter Two: Mild Intoxication Coupled with Growing Disbelief
Chapter Three: Extreme Intoxication Coupled with Growing Panic
Chapter Four: Lack of Consciousness

Chapter 4: Chimurenga: The Beginning

The idea of nomenclature

Shows the white colonists renaming the place, which reflects erasing history of the country,
and indicating the power structure.

Chapter 5: Adrian: Rhodesia, 1968

Bobo lost her baby brother Adrian to meningitis before she was born. The depiction of her
mother’s deep-intense-overwhelming-sorrowful emotions emphasizes the unexpected
atrocity in Fuller’s family. This tragic event also reflects the harsh realities and challenges the
family faced in Africa.

Chapter 6: Coming-Back Babies

She shares the African myth of Coming-back babies, that “if your baby dies, you must bury it
far away from your house, with proper magic and incantations and gifts for the gods, so that
the baby does not come back, time after time, and plant itself inside your womb only to die a
short time after birth.” Some Africans said that Alexandra was the coming-back baby of
Andrian, but she differentiates herself from her brother by hair and eye colors, and
personality; “He had a soft soul”, but “ plucked a new, different, worldly soul for myself”. The
author wanted to convey her internal conflict as being a White African, also highlighting her
identity shifting regarding her family. The author presents juxtaposition between her brother,
who is already dead yet his African soul has found a home in African land, and unlikely she
is who is still alive but her soul does not have a home. The spiritual definition of home is
conveyed as the place where you feel that you belong, hence she is illuminating that she
doesn’t feel belongs to any country.

Chapter 7: England, 1969

Chapter 8: Karoi

Chapter 9: The Burma Valley

Chapter 10: Chimurenga, 1974

Chapter 11: War: 1976

Chapter 12: Dog Rescue

It is a chapter about fighting against the spitting cobra to save the dog. It demonstrates
Nicola’s bravery and love towards her family. She even risks driving in a war zone during the
night to go to the vet.
Chapter 13: Vanessa
One day, their parents left them with Roly Swift one morning while they had work to do. And
he started to follow Vanessa and me around the house and sexually harassed Bobo. Then
Vanessa stood up for her sister, but he laughed at her and brought her to the bedroom. The
description such as scuffling and untidy hair and clothes emphasizes what happens in the
bedroom. When they came back they were talking to Roly in brightly "natural" voices as if
“Everything Was Normal” even though “Everything Wasn’t Normal”. The use of capitalization
gives the awkwardness and demonstrates two things are the same thing but accepted
differently. Vanessa tried to tell Mum and Dad what had happened and they said, “Don’t
exaggerate.” Their parents ignored the children and the happening, because the white
community is quite small, and he has a wife. They didn't want to make things bigger, so they
just decided to think that “this” did not happen. And the gun shooting scene, Vanessa
demonstrates good shooting skills. The reason why the author put this scene behind that
traumatic experience is to show that Vanessa was seeing Mr. Swift from the target while
shooting, which connotates that Vanessa actually wants to kill him.

Chapter 14: Missionaries: 1975

This chapter is about humorous experiences with missionaries. Two missionaries visit the
Fuller family’s house to share the teachings of Christ, which Bobo depicts as both fat and
blond, even making fun of them by calling one Elephant Bottom. Missionaries were offered a
cup of tea, and when they left they asked Nicola and Alexandra to pray with them. As they
say to Bobo “You can ask God for anything you want.” by praying, Bobo wishes for “A baby
brother or sister,”, a “new baby in the family. Please.” And 10 months later, Olivia was born.
Which made Bobo think that god responded to her prayer: “Olivia is my fault. She is the
direct result of my prayer. I am secretly, ecstatically proud.”

Chapter 15: Olivia: January 1978

On the day, her parents left for shopping, Bobo and Olivia were left behind at Aunty Rena’s.
When Bobo and the other adults were busy with other business, Olivia drowned in the duck
pond. The description is quite disturbing and traumatic, contrasting with the comical last
chapter. Bobo feels huge responsibility for Olivia’s death first because her parents gave her
the responsibility to keep on eye on her little sister before leaving, and mostly because she
believes she was the one who brought Olivia to life. Therefore she believes she is
responsible for her death too.

Chapter 16: Afterwards

After Olivia’s death, the author says her “life is sliced in half”. The first half is the happy
years. It depicts the family singing in the car while driving, creating a joyful, and bright mood.
In the second half after Olivia’s death, the “joyful careless embrace of life is sucked away”.
She pictures her parents are drink-driving, threatening their children just because they were
arguing with each other. She mentions that her parents became mad-crying drinkers from
funny-joyful drinkers. Before they were just heavy drinkers who drank for fun, but they are
now alcoholics who drink more to derive from reality. It further emphasizes the aftermath of
Olivia’s death, deep anguish, and hardship.