Blindness and Spite: Fox by Margaret Wild

  Fox by Margaret Wild is a story about betrayal and commitment. It's about a Dog and a bird named Magpie, who are bounded to each other because of their disabilities. Magpie can't fly, but Dog can be her wings. Dog can't fully see, but Magpie can be his eyes. Fox seeks to ruin this relationship and eventually succeeds. When looking at the author's word choice, I was able to deeply analyze the type of characters. I closely looked into the type of character Fox is. I determined that Fox is scheming character, who's spiteful and blind.

  Fox is spiteful because he doesn't want Magpie and Dog to experience something he's incapable of experiencing. Fox sees how happy Magpie and Dog are together which causes him to believe that they haven't experienced loss and loneliness, like he has. Because of this he acts out of spite and separates them. It seems like he has a troubled past, which leads him to take out his anger on Magpie and Dog. Their contentment would only be a reminder of what he's missing out on and can't experience.

  Fox is blind to the fact that Dog and Magpie will accept him as a friend. His envy and anger have confused and blinded him from noticing this. For example the "smell of rage and envy and loneliness" that Fox is emitting displays the intensity on his feelings. This abundance of feelings shows that Fox is so focused on disrupting their relationship to notice a chance at happiness for himself. He's also blinded when it comes to being content with his life. He's lost on what to do in a few situations. "I cannot tell if it is a scream of triumph or a scream of despair." Magpie can't tell whether Fox is content with his actions or unsatisfied. This shows that Fox is still lost on what he's doing. He believes that inflicting loneliness on Dog and Magpie will leave him fulfilled, but it doesn't because his cry reveals he's still lost.

  Overall, Fox is a tortured soul who lets his spite get in the way of possible acceptance from Dog and Magpie. Although Fox seems like a cruel character I pity him because he is unable to find happiness. I'm also grateful for Fox's presence because he forces Magpie to have an epiphany. With him she's able to realize her dependence and need for Dog, which makes her loyalty grow. So Fox is a meaningful asset to the story even though he does a heartless thing.