The short story “Lob’s Girl” written by Joan Aiken talks about a young girl, Sandy, who forms a powerful bond with a dog named Lob. The dog’s original owner, Mr. Dodsworth is running and shouting for the dog Lob to come back while Lob keeps licking 5-year-old Sandy’s face. Lob wags his tail enthusiastically at Sandy and Sandy loves Lob already at the first sight. After Mr. Dodsworth returns home to Liverpool with Lob, Lob runs away twice all the way to Sandy’s home, a journal of four hundred miles from Liverpool to Cornwall. Finally Mr. Dodsworth gives up Lob and has the Pengelly family adopt Lob. One day, nine years later when Sandy is a teenager, Sandy goes up to her Aunt’s house to accompany her for dinner. But a truck hits her and Sandy is in a coma. Sandy is in intensive care and the dog Lob with dripping wet, thought to be deceased, mysteriously visits Sandy at the hospital and wakes her up. Later, Sandy’s parents and Granny Pearce discover that Lob actually died on site of the truck accident. Lob was buried in the ocean. This story reflects on three themes: supernature, the love between pets and humans, and family love.
Supernature is the power for overcoming the natural laws on the world, and would be seemingly impossible for normal people. Supernature is the property that defies natural laws of nature and logic of humans. People have been trusting that there was supernatural in the world, such as the existence of ghosts and deities. Lob was found dead by the truck when the car accident happened, and he was buried in the ocean. But Granny Pearce did see Lob dripping wet come to visit Sandy with the evidence of the trails of footprints left behind. Sometimes the writer uses the supernatural to build suspense and create special effects for the reader, acting as a theme of the story. The bond between Sandy and the dog had been really strong, and shows that their bond is inseparable. When their love is very devoted, things beyond logic can be done, such as Lob visiting Sandy after death. However, it is impossible in the laws of nature for Lob to visit Sandy because Lob already died at the site of the truck accident. It was probably that Lob, in his ghostly form, had come to visit them, and to save Sandy. Also, Lob was buried in the ocean and Granny Pearce sees Lob dripping wet with the footprints left. Those all explain the supernatural part of the story. Clearly, supernatural powers have abilities that are beyond the scientific laws of the world. Beliefs in the supernatural could lessen the shock, the trauma, and the loss. To some degrees, supernatural beliefs act as a psychological medicine because they help people to deal with the difficulties in life.
The love between humans and their pets are unbreakable, representing unwavering loyalty and faithful companionship, and devoted friendship. The human-animal bond is universal; animals develop strong connections and exhibit remarkable affection towards their owner or companions. Lob bonds with Sandy immediately from the first sight and sees her as his rightful owner. Lob travels 400 miles from Liverpool to Cornwall just to be with Sandy. When the truck accident occurs, Lob’s instinct is to place himself between the truck and Sandy to protect Sandy. Lob shows up in ghostly form to awake Sandy from her coma. Just as the masterpiece “Where the Red Fern Grows”, the bond between humans and pets has been so strong that they have become inseparable. The love Lob develops for Sandy touches the heart of every reader. Lob’s devout loyalty toward Sandy could be seen from Lob’s great efforts in walking 400 miles just to reunite with Sandy. Lob is so devoted to Sandy that Mr. Dodsworth agrees to let Sandy have Lob. On the day of the truck accident, Lob faithfully remained by Sandy’s side. He rather risks his life to ensure Sandy’s safety. That explains the force hitting lob is so intense that it knocks Lob far away from where Sandy is found. The most touching part of the story is that even though Lob is dead, he tries to find a way back to Sandy spiritually to rouse Sandy from her coma. His whining voice reaches the depths of Sandy’s consciousness and gives her the strength to return to life. The bond between humans and animals are inseparable. The animal acts as a loyal companion offering unconditional love and support.
Family love is vital for the formation of family support, which in turn provides comfort when a family member is experiencing a bad incident or situation. Family offers support and security with unconditional love to help people get through the most disastrous times and the best times.The Pengelly family repeatedly expresses their love for each other, by helping with the fishing boat, watching over the younger twins, and also by agreeing to bring Lob home even though Mr. Pengelly recognizes the added cost to their own budget. When Sandy is hit, her family rallies her at the hospital. Granny Pearce brings Lob to Sandy’s bedside, hoping to help Sandy recover from coma. People can do so much for their family. Sandy takes care of the twins, Don helps Dad with the fishing boat painting, and Mother makes the Christmas puddings by the end of August. If not for family love, Mr. Pengelly would not agree to take Lob home. Yet he takes on this cost out of his love for his children, who adore Lob. If not for family love, Granny Pearce would not insist to let Lob inside the hospital, while the pet is not allowed to do so, indicating that the family would do whatever it takes to support Sandy through the tragedy. These actions have been intentionally done from the bottom of their heart, not from the force, and each family member is helping each other. It is exactly the family love that the family tries to bring out what is the best for the family member. Family members are very valuable because they provide care and support when in crisis or trauma out of their love for each other.
Lob’s Girl is a very touching story about how a dog gave up his life for his owner, not just to run away and coward before an ominous object. Lob’s ghost came back to help Sandy from coma to waking up. The only evidence of Lob is the dripping wet footprints that Lob left when he left the hospital. Supernature is the very basis of this story, from ghosts of dogs to very deeply religious novels. They often make reference to some holy text in the Bible. People also need to be aware of the bond between humans, such as dogs and humans, birds and humans, or some other animal. Even though the animal can vary, people and animals make an unbreakable bond that comes gradually. People are also often displaying love to their family members, such as purposely taking care of them so that they can show their love, or just because they are very thankful to them for being their family.
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