Antagonist

Character Role Analysis

Happy Santun

A quick note about character roles: My Life in Dog Years is a nonfiction book with an unusual structure. Each of its nine chapters is a portrait of a dog that has been important in author Gary Paulsen's life. Since the stars of his story are all canine companions…we could have just listed nine companions. (But where's the fun in that? After all, this isn't Doctor Who.) Paulsen would probably say he's got nine protagonists. Instead, we chose examples to show you how this book both follows, and departs from, the usual cast of characters you find in great literature.

This is a nonfiction book about memorable dogs by an author who absolutely loves them, so there are no bad dogs. Still, in the chapter about Dirk, the bodyguard dog, Paulsen faces off against an enemy, Happy Santun. Happy leads a gang of guys who torment Paulsen. Paulsen gets his sweet revenge through Dirk, who's a bit of a bruiser.