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The fifth story is called "The Upset Girl", but a puppy appears in the first scene. The puppy and the girl form a perfect intertext in this story. To put it bluntly, "President Pierce" is an externalization of the inner personality of "Alice". It is a nervous puppy, and it will bark when it encounters animals that are stronger than itself. Alice added, "Almost all animals are bigger than Pierce." This is also the reason why Alice is always upset. She followed her strong brother to survive since she was a child, never learned to control her own destiny, indecisive and sentimental, and her fear of the unknown imprisoned her in a fenced wall.
Do you think she likes this? No, she hates herself like this. Whenever someone complained to her about President Pierce, her reaction was always irritable: "This is not my dog, this is my brother's dog." While refusing to admit her cowardice, she attributed the cause of this character to her brother—— What a contradictory escape mentality.
"President Pierce" disappeared after Alice met Mr. Billy Knapp. We once thought that the heroic cowboys had removed the fear for the restless girls, and maybe they would spend the rest of their lives in peace somewhere in the future. It is a pity that the cowboy failed to kill "President Pierce", he only temporarily drove it away for the girl, and when the girl regained her puppy, it was the moment her fear came back to life again. So we saw a terrifying scene... It turns out that the cowboy is not a hero, but a girl of the same kind. Witnessing the aging of his companions, Billinep also began to worry about the unknown future of human growth. The two restless hearts gained a glimmer of hope in each other, while comforting each other: "Uncertainty is the only right way in the world." On the other hand, they agreed to live a stable life somewhere in front of you—you see, Lian Zi Paradoxical psychology is exactly the same. However, this tragedy was once again "Oedipus" fulfilled, and their fear of the future eventually led them into a terrifying future.
The girl died of a puppy, of worry, and even more of a confirmation of her destiny. Billy Nap said: "We are still eager to determine new things, we want to find comfort and confirm everything..." This is what Billy Nap and Alice repeatedly deny, but they are doing it step by step. If Mr. Arthur didn't tell Alice what would happen after being captured by the Indians, Alice would not have the courage to pull the trigger. Inner cowardice and avoidance of cowardice together lead the girl who fears death to death. Sadly, the girl is not the only victim. When Mr. Arthur slowly returned to the convoy, we also saw a cowboy who was looking forward to his family and lost his lover.
In this "blood case caused by a puppy", those who were worried about the future lost their future, and only the solitary Arthur, dragged his old body back to the original track bravely. Regardless of the road facing the convoy, the offense of the Indians on the opposite side, or the aging body on the opposite side, his future is also full of unknowns. The difference is that Arthur is never afraid. The person who succumbed to fear died the moment he confirmed his fate. Pioneer "civilized people" are always committed to clarifying the things in front of them, because they are afraid of the unknown. The life that really dared to step out of the fence and fight in the wasteland only belonged to Old Arthur, the "barbaric" aboriginal people, and those warriors who knew that the front was full of rat holes and still rushed.
Two easter eggs:
1. The puppy's name is derived from "Franklin Pierce". He became the President of the United States in 1850. Later generations criticized him for having excessive sympathy for the South and thus planted hidden dangers for the division of North and South. It coincides with Billinep's comment that Alice is "really magnanimous to be able to consider from his standpoint," and it also indicates that Alice will pay a heavy price for her indecision.
2. In the opening dinner scene, Alice's brother feeds the puppy under the table with food, and the next second is the scene of Alice chewing food. It implies that her elder brother is not only the source of Alice's income, but also the foster of her tragic character.
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