Bashan and I · Theme
Instinct vs. Civilization
How Bashan and I develops Instinct vs. Civilization.
Bashan's primal hunting instincts are contrasted with the constraints of domestic life, highlighting the tension between the dog's wild nature and the ordered, human-controlled environment, as well as the narrator's own struggle with this duality.
Where it surfaces
- Bashan and I
Bashan's wild hunting instincts are contrasted with the domestic life he shares with the narrator.
- I: Bashan Puts in His Appearance
Bashan's hunting blood and peasant-like mannerisms are contrasted with the narrator's civilized morning walk, highlighting the tension between wild instincts and domestic life.
- III: A Few Items Regarding Bashan’s Character and Manner of Life
Highlighted by Bashan's dream-hunting as a substitute for real hunting, his refusal to perform tricks, and the tension between his natural drives and domestic life.
- The Hunting-Grounds
The contrast between the wild, natural hunting-grounds and the civilized but incomplete streets and gardens highlights the tension between instinctual life and human attempts to impose order.
- The Chase
The narrator contemplates whether Bashan's hunting behavior is driven by inherited ancestral memories, contrasting raw instinct with the civilized observer's perspective.