are not bugs in the human system, but features. Sumner becomes a "straw dog" to his own principles; he discards his pacifism as easily as a ritual object once it no longer serves his survival. Peckinpah suggests that civilization is a thin crust over a molten core of savagery, and that masculinity, in particular, is often defined by the sudden, explosive transition from "thinker" to "killer." The Modern Synthesis: John Gray Philosopher John Gray utilized the term in his book Straw Dogs: Thoughts on Humans and Other Animals to attack the secular myth of
Both films follow a quiet academic who moves with his wife to her rural hometown, only to find himself pushed to extreme violence by hostile locals. Straw Dogs
In the 21st century, the relevance of "Straw Dogs" (both the philosophy and the film) is arguably stronger than ever. are not bugs in the human system, but features
The locals see David as weak—an intellectual straw man. They harass the couple, kill the family cat, and eventually, four men commit an act of unspeakable violence against Amy while David fails to act. In the 21st century, the relevance of "Straw
Peckinpah argued that the Taoist "Straw Dog" was the perfect title. David was the straw dog: sacred (by marriage) and then discarded. Amy was the straw dog: desired and then trampled. The morals of the community? Straw dogs.