'Spike, the Gonzaga Bulldog" will first be read as nothing more than a simple children's fable, perhaps a gift for a young cousin or nephew, but not as serious literature.
However, to reduce this work to such a simple interpretation is to bastardize what should be considered an inspired and thought-provoking work of modern fiction.
Author Dr. Michael Pringle (with illustrator Brad Vinson) boldly investigates the themes of tradition and predestination, all in an accessible format, serving to broaden his message across a wide spectrum of readers.
Where most critics will lose their way with Spike is in mistaking the simplistic style and vivid illustrations for mere children's lit. Below the plain exterior lurks a powerful story and deep questions about the nature of the human condition and coming of age narrative.
The protagonist, Spike the younger, embarks on a journey that sheds his childhood dreams. He opts not to be a firedog or sled dog, but instead resolves to follow in his father's footsteps - to remain a bulldog and continue keeping his post. It is this decision that makes up the climax of the work.
His decision to place vaunted tradition over petty ambition and return to his community will truly impact the reader.
"Spike" could be a commentary on the American spirit: - you can be anything you wish.
Instead, Spike concludes that there is an inherent value in continuity, and that family and familial identity may be just as critical as pursuing one's dreams (especially dreams that remove you from your roots).
In an era that has seen the rebirth of conservative family values in political discourse, it comes as no surprise that we find literature recommending values of tradition. Yet while tradition may be the principal theme, the text is best characterized by movement. As Spike and his father explore the campus, they (symbolically) examine all of the facets of intellectual experience. Concurrent with this journey, Pringle's lines mimic the travels - lengthy quatrains in varied meter will send readers sprawling across the page, only to find themselves back at the end of each in a rhyme.
Spike continually searches, but always comes back to his band in the end. So, too, does the reader. Some critics might not be kind to this representation of tradition as a virtue.
I refer here particularly to Marxists who will see this as simplistic cheer for bourgeois values and those would seek to further those values.
I must concede that they are probably correct in their assessment, but I would remind them that they must recall the particular tradition of which Spike is a part. Spike's journey functions as an ode to the Jesuit model of liberal arts education, and his journey and subsequent decision should remind us of the intrinsic value that many people feel it holds. This is not simple polemic, but rather a romantic exploration of what it is to find value in tradition and family.
There is sure to be debate as to what genre this piece should be classified under. While written in verse, it also exhibits the moralizing elements of a fable and even some of the classic components of European folk tales.
I am prone to classify it as epic poetry, as the search for truth and strong representations of male figures call to mind the poetry of Homer. Indeed, it seems the epic is its natural classification, but perhaps we should leave this one to the literati in the press.
Dr. Pringle's work is one for the ages, a classic that will not soon be forgotten in the tradition of modern poetry. Although the back describes it as "a book for Gonzaga University fans of all ages," this reviewer believes that much of the symbolism and meaning might be lost on younger audiences. It is the themes of tradition and family that echo across the pages and its form, structure and imagery all serve to reinforce them.
Or maybe not.
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