Dissimilar cultures have distinguishing views in the process of reaching manhood. A prominent theme that Dogsong, by Gary Paulsen, pertains to the importance of achieving the status of manhood by venturing out into the wilderness to discover one's own song. Russel Susskit, the protagonist, fulfills desire to become a man through the unbreakable bond of his dogs and allowing his dreams to path his destiny which contribute to the forging of his own song.
             Throughout Russel's journey, he develops a profound bond with his dogs and he becomes dependant upon them for their guidance. His dogs serve not only as companions but also as a vital source of transportation. They are also the ones which discover food by sniffing out its scent. Thus, they are essential for his survival. When Russel is lost and the path to his destination is ambiguous, he relies of his dogs to act as his guiding light. When he discovers the tracks of the Eskimo girl, his dogs lead him directly to her. In the area marked by her presence, the dogs abruptly stop. "He yelled at them, swore at them, finally began slamming the sled with his mittened hands and threatened to come up to the unseen dogs and beat them into submission. But they would not move"1 Finally, Russel understands the signal and finds the girl. When Russel and his dogs are on the verge of starvation, his dogs rescue him and themselves by finding a polar bear. Furthermore, one of Russel's dogs sacrifices his life to distract the bear in order to give time for Russel to impale the bear with a lance. Consequently, without the dogs, Russel's journey to become a man would not have been successful for they are adept at finding food, serving as a form of transportation, and guiding Russel when he is lost.
             Russel's mysterious dreams are essential to becoming a man because they inform him of the peril that awaits him. For instance, his dreams foretell a period of hun...