-Story incorporates extreme jingoism.

-presents stupidity of partition through mockery and satirical tone

-violence symbolizes growing rebellion of soldiers
-’Dog’ symbolizes common Indian or Pakistani

“The soldiers had been entrenched in their positions for several weeks, but there was little, if
any, fighting, except for the dozen rounds they ritually exchanged every day.”- normalization of
violence

“The air was heavy with the scent of wild flowers and nature seemed to be following its course,
quite unmindful of the soldiers hiding behind rocks and camouflaged by mountain shrubbery.”-
pathetic fallacy: nature being nature, until disrupted by human activity

“It seemed as if summer and winter had made their peace”- but not Pakistan and India

“Buy me a pair of shoes, my lover

A pair of shoes with stars on them
Sell your buffalo, if you have to
But buy me a pair of shoes
With stars on them.”- homesickness, boredom leading to violence, empty mind is the devil’s
workshop, romantic Punjabi song shows longing for home.

“This mood was shattered by the barking of a dog.”- violence, intruder

“The dog sniffed at it and was about to eat it, when Harnam Singh snatched it away…”- casual
cruelty, peace could be restored between India and Pakistan if it weren’t for extremists and
nationalists.

“Prove your identity”- extreme jingoism

“All dogs can wag their tails”- partition’s pathetic situation/loss of identity

“The war had been going on for months but nobody could be quite sure who was winning it.”-
hopeless state of war

“Where did you spend the night, my love, my moon?

Where did you spend the night?”- parallels between both armies (India and Pakistan),
segmented narration

“Perhaps it is a code.”- illiteracy of extremists and nationalists.

“Subedar Himmat Khan picked up the wireless set and spoke to his platoon commander,
providing him with a detailed account of the dog’s appearance in their position,”- small things
taken seriously, ‘detailed account’ depicting reportage in a mocking tone
“Now write on it in Gurmukhi, the language of those Sikhs…”- The divisiveness or dichotomy
between India and Pakistan. Ironic because they are supposed to be completely different from
the enemy but know the enemy’s language.

“Shun Shun, yes, that’s right. We counter Jhun Jhun with Shun Shun.”- extreme nationalism,
jingoism

“These are the orders of your commander.”-- dog symbolizes ignorance of normal Indo/Pak
citizen

“The dog wagged his tail”- extended symbol, ignorant civilians loyal to govt. Till death by being
part of mob or by dying because of mob mentality.

“The two sides exchanged fire for half an hour, which of course was a complete waste of time.”-
mock reportage, funny events reported news-style.

“He combed his long hair and looked himself in the mirror”- ego and narcissism as if firing for no
reason and not doing anything commendable is appreciable

“But, wait, that’s the Pakistani hill he’s coming from, the motherfucker.”- joke becomes serious

“Go forward and complete your mission”- serious now, jingoism, dog’s afraid like Indo/Pak
citizens

“It soon became a game between the two citizens.”- but civilians are killed in crossfire because
of this ‘game’.

“The poor bugger has been martyred.”- Manto comments on how people are martyred; they
don’t willingly die for their country, they are simply killed

“He died a dog’s death.”- The inevitable nature of many Indians and Pakistanis deaths;
irreverent deaths, no importance nor honor given to those who died, politicians dehumanized
Indo/Pak lives.