The Mixer Guiding Questions

1. Lines 1–10: Who is the main character in this story? Based on evidence in the text, do you think this character has a positive or negative outlook on life?

• He compares himself to his mother, explaining that while she was "a one-man dog," the smells and sounds of ALL men give him a "thrill."

• The main character, a dog, seems to have a positive outlook, since he says that he looks forward to learning new things

• He is excited and "talks" a lot to his new owner. it doesn't seem to bother the dog because he knows the man is his "boss."

Lines 1–10: How do you know that this story is told using first-person point of view?

• The dog decides not to bark when the man comes in, even "though it went against all my better feelings." He decides to ignore his training because "all it had brought me was walloping."

• The narrator uses the first-person pronouns I and my .

• The narrator seems to respond calmly to strangers, while his mother barks at every stranger.

Lines 21–25: What personal trait does the narrator discuss in these lines? Explain whether you think the narrator knows himself well.

• He is very excited to see the man again, but he "remembered in time how shy he was," and stays quiet. Blackie is mistaken about the man's personality and his intentions, but Blackie is a very obedient dog

• He says his "restlessness" is a "marked trait." He seems to know himself well, because he identifies patterns in his behavior; he has always been "anxious to get on to the next thing."

• He becomes "very depressed" because he misses the Shy Man. I think his explanation that "dogs are dogs, and they are built like that" is sad in this case, but it makes sense, because dogs are loyal, faithful animals.

Lines 41–47: Summarize how the narrator responds to strangers compared to his mother.

• The dog is mistaken by calling his new owner "the shyest man I had ever met." He thinks the man hits him because "it hurt him to be spoken to."

• The narrator seems to respond calmly to strangers, while his mother barks at every stranger.

• Yes, they match; the Shy Man is selling the dog to a caretaker so that he later can rob the house

Lines 76–86: A “mixer” refers to someone who is outgoing and “mixes” well with others. From these lines, how do you know the narrator’s description of himself as a “mixer” seems accurate?

• He says his "restlessness" is a "marked trait." He seems to know himself well, because he identifies patterns in his behavior; he has always been "anxious to get on to the next thing."

• The main character, a dog, seems to have a positive outlook, since he says that he looks forward to learning new things

• He compares himself to his mother, explaining that while she was "a one-man dog," the smells and sounds of ALL men give him a "thrill."

Lines 87–95: Summarize what the Shy Man is like. What clues in the text indicate that there might be more to what is going on than the narrator understands?

• According to the narrator, the man seems "silent" and "brooding.However, there are some clues that indicate that there might be more to what is going on than the narrator understands. (The man doesn't respond to the narrator's friendly nature; Mother growls at the man.)

• He compares himself to his mother, explaining that while she was "a one-man dog," the smells and sounds of ALL men give him a "thrill."

• He is excited and "talks" a lot to his new owner. it doesn't seem to bother the dog because he knows the man is his "boss."