Why did Singer have to die?

Singer played a variety of roles in the novel; companionship, the love owners have for their pets and vice versa, loyalty, bravery, and even how a person can love in spite of irritating habits. Yet, because I write tragedies, there has to be a tragic event in my novels. This too, was Singer’s role to play, and even from the beginning of the novel, I knew exactly what would happen to him. Quality dramatic fiction has to make the reader feel a variety of emotions – love, joy, happiness, anger, betrayal, jealousy and yes, sadness and loss.

This isn’t to say that I don’t like dogs. I love them – currently, I own three. I’ve also had dogs die in the past, so I know how much it can hurt to lose a pet. So do most people, and I suppose that’s the reason most people were so moved when they learned what had happened to Singer. I, too, was sad when I wrote the scene, even though I knew it was inevitable.

Also, it’s important to realize that in American literature, as opposed to movies and television, the dog almost always dies. Old Yeller, Where the Red Fern Grows, and My Dog Skip are but three examples, and I wanted to keep with tradition, simply because it helped to make the book memorable.