We see animals pop up throughout The Birth of a Nation, and they carry a different sort of symbolic resonance each time.

Let's take a look at a few of these examples:

Puppies and kittens—D'aww. When we first meet the Cameron family, we see a gaggle of adorable puppies and kittens playing at their feet. This is supposed to relate them (and the pre-war South as a whole) with innocence, an innocence that Griffith thinks is sullied after the Civil War.

Silas' dog —Later, the villainous Silas Young is shown beating a dog and giving it to other men for even more nefarious deeds. This is not a particularly subtle way of revealing the dude's evil nature.

The dove—Soon, after Lynch beats up the dog, we see Ben and Elsie kiss a dove together. This is laughably silly, but it's also a way of relating their love to peace between the North and South, as doves typically symbolize peace.

It might be racist as all get-out, but The Birth of a Nation sure loves its zoological metaphors.