Girl, Stolen

Dogs play significant roles in the novel in terms of both plot and theme. Phantom and Duke, in particular, are responsible for helping Cheyenne: Phantom, by giving her ease of movement and increased independence; Duke by assisting her escape through the woods. Thematically, Phantom’s training in intelligent disobedience is a catalyst for Griffin’s decision to disobey his father. Duke’s journey from an abused member of the gang of car thieves to his rescue and rehabilitation mirrors Griffin’s journey. At the conclusion of the novel, Griffin tells Cheyenne “I kind of feel like Duke” (212). That Cheyenne is able to gain Duke’s trust through kindness (and kibble) underscores the novel’s underlying theme that 1) people (and animals) are shaped by their environment and 2) they can be redeemed with a change in environment. While Duke appears aggressive, the novel suggests that he is not so by nature but has been so because of his environment. A change in environment, thus, promises a change in behavior and the possibility of redemption, just as Griffin finds redemption after leaving an unstable home.