The Hides and the Rawhide Rope

The Power of the Dog (Thomas Savage Edition)

This flow traces how the hides Rose sells become the material link between Peter’s plan and Phil’s fatal infection.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

Hides Left to Dry Hides Left to Dry from "The Power of the Dog". Hides Left to Dry A Ranch Routine Butcher-pen hides dry on a fence until Phil decides to use or burn them.

Hides Left to Dry from "The Power of the Dog". Hides Left to Dry A Ranch Routine Butcher-pen hides dry on a fence until Phil decides to use or burn them.

Hides Left to Dry A Ranch Routine Butcher-pen hides dry on a fence until Phil decides to use or burn them. He refuses to sell them to traders, treating their offer as an invitation to be exploited. A Stored Resource What looks like worthless waste accumulates in the yard. Its practical and symbolic value changes when Phil begins braiding rawhide for Peter.

The Rope as an Invitation The Rope as an Invitation from "The Power of the Dog". The Rope as an Invitation Craft and Courtship Phil braids rawhide and promises the finished rope to Peter.

The Rope as an Invitation from "The Power of the Dog". The Rope as an Invitation Craft and Courtship Phil braids rawhide and promises the finished rope to Peter.

The Rope as an Invitation Craft and Courtship Phil braids rawhide and promises the finished rope to Peter. The work gives him a way to spend time with the boy and to present ranch knowledge as a bond between them. An Ambivalent Gift Phil imagines the rope helping draw Peter away from Rose. The offer can be both genuine affection and part of a scheme to isolate her.

Rose Sells the Stock Rose Sells the Stock from "The Power of the Dog". Rose Sells the Stock Cash from Discarded Material Rose sells the hides to a passing trader, receiving thirty dollars in cash.

Rose Sells the Stock from "The Power of the Dog". Rose Sells the Stock Cash from Discarded Material Rose sells the hides to a passing trader, receiving thirty dollars in cash.

Rose Sells the Stock Cash from Discarded Material Rose sells the hides to a passing trader, receiving thirty dollars in cash. She chooses the money partly because it recalls the economic insecurity of her former life. Phil’s Anger Phil sees the missing hides as proof of Rose’s drinking and expects George to condemn her. His attention to the transaction helps disguise how the hides will become dangerous to him.

Peter Supplies Rawhide Peter Supplies Rawhide from "The Power of the Dog". Peter Supplies Rawhide An Unexpected Offer When Phil discovers the hides are gone, Peter offers rawhide he has cut himself.

Peter Supplies Rawhide from "The Power of the Dog". Peter Supplies Rawhide An Unexpected Offer When Phil discovers the hides are gone, Peter offers rawhide he has cut himself.

Peter Supplies Rawhide An Unexpected Offer When Phil discovers the hides are gone, Peter offers rawhide he has cut himself. He says that he wants to learn the craft and thanks Phil for treating him well. Trust Sealed by Touch Peter’s hand on Phil’s arm convinces Phil that the boy admires him. Phil accepts the material without knowing it has been prepared to expose his wounded hand to infection.

The Rope’s Hidden Cost The Rope’s Hidden Cost from "The Power of the Dog". The Rope’s Hidden Cost Exposure Through Craft Phil works the new rawhide with bare, damaged hands.

The Rope’s Hidden Cost from "The Power of the Dog". The Rope’s Hidden Cost Exposure Through Craft Phil works the new rawhide with bare, damaged hands.

The Rope’s Hidden Cost Exposure Through Craft Phil works the new rawhide with bare, damaged hands. The material carries anthrax from an infected animal, and his wound creates a route into his body. A Reversed Gift The rope that was meant to bind Peter to Phil becomes the means of Phil’s death. A gesture of craft and intimacy conceals the transfer of danger.

Before Peter’s summer visit

Early summer 1925

Late summer 1925

Immediately after the sale is discovered

The final days before Phil’s illness