Mary Leigh asked Ross Howell Jr.:

What's the significance of Lucky the dog?

Ross Howell Jr. Five years ago I helped rescue a mixed-breed pit bull named Sam. No one would adopt him, so he's been a member of our family ever since. When I took him for walks, sometimes people would cross to the other side of the street to avoid him. I understand why. He was big and gaunt. He was badly scarred. His coat was thin. Now that he's healthy and fit, people sometimes come up to pet him, and comment how handsome he is. He's as gentle a creature as I've ever been around. My dog Sam's the inspiration for the pit bull in the novel. Lucky is the perfect metaphor for the society the narrator Charlie Mears faces and for what he longs for as a person.

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