It is always the innocent who lose the most when it comes to feuding and war. In We Were Liars, the two golden retrievers, Franklin and Eleanor, play a significant role in Cady’s trauma, because she forgot about them and let them die in the fire, too. The dogs play an important role in the Sinclair household. They’re a symbol of status, they’re beautiful, and they’re also “golden” (can be considered a part of the “blonde” heritage of the family) and somewhat controllable with the pills, you know? Dogs have always been companions; they’re meant to be loyal and unconditional in their love for their owners. I suppose Harris is quite fond of the two goldens, and this is very clearly seen when he’s holding the ball at the end of the show, when there are no dogs to play with it. While these dogs are Sinclairs in their own right, they’re nothing like the Sinclairs. They get to exist with reckless abandon; this is why, every time something happens, they’re given pills and put to sleep. When Penny takes the doggy pill, it almost feels like she’s demoting herself to their status, controllable yet innocent enough not to worry about what is actually going on.
I suppose one could compare the status of children and dogs because they’re both meant to be innocent and loving, until one set starts to grow up and realize they’re a species above others. Power is a difficult thing to navigate, and when it comes to the Sinclairs, everybody is controlled by the family patriarch. Harris controls the dogs with treats and toys, and he controls his children and grandchildren with the promise of inheritance. They’re essentially the same, but the liars are different. They don’t want to be controlled; they want to be free of power. Harris also sees his kids as the perfect breed; this is why he manages to talk Carrie out of marrying Ed because of Johnny’s debt, so they can’t be “contaminated.” His line will not be pure anymore, and his status will not be as high. Gat and Ed challenge everything that the Sinclair family stands for.
At Tipper’s funeral, Gat shows up despite his fight with Cady. It’s a way for him to show solidarity, and it definitely helps. But when he asks Harris what he can do to help, Harris sends him off to look after the dogs and keep them in check because they’re quite mischievous. Harris has a way of talking in metaphors, so it’s pretty clear here that he’s telling Gat to reign himself in, too. That the only thing he can do to help is to be with the dogs. He’s clearly showing Gat where he stands in the family dynamic. But the dogs make a mess, and a bunch of things break because Gat and Cady are unable to keep them in check. Harris’ expression is clearly one of anger, but just like everything else, he shoves it down and pretends to thank everybody for coming to the funeral so they’re distracted from what the dogs have done. I’m not sure if the dogs are untrained, but I guess that’s what it is, which is why they were kept in a different room.
The dogs’ death is significant not only because it’s essentially animal cruelty but because it reminds us how those who are quiet and controlled are entirely forgotten in a situation like this one. If the dogs hadn’t been given the pills, they’d have been running around freely, and there would be some sort of reminder that they’re around, but Cady is so caught up with her agenda of “saving” the family that she forgets what’s most important. Harris wanted his children to be quiet and always bury their secrets too. A little treat to help them forget. A little payoff to keep them from ruining the family portrait.
The dogs’ names are immediately evocative of Franklin D Roosevelt and his wife, Eleanor. Not very doglike names, but we know Harris’ obsession with power, and I can’t help but imagine this is something that makes him feel special. Eleanor Roosevelt was a noted humanitarian and did a lot to end racial segregation in the US armed forces, among other areas of society, and Franklin was a very progressive leader for his time. Granted, his legacy is stained by the wartime internment camps he authorized, which led to the Japanese population of America being segregated into what were basically a series of concentration camps in underpopulated areas of the country. Harris definitely put a lot of thought into the names, and I wonder what the other three will be called.
The dogs also play a huge role in helping Cady remember what happened. It’s a shame, because even if Cady’s forgotten what happened the previous summer, she can’t seem to remember the dogs at all, because why isn’t that the first question she’s asking? When Cady plays Scrabble with the gang, she finally remembers that she forgot the dogs in the house when she started the fire, and it was already too late for her to save them. But the worst part is, she manages to save her grandma’s pearls because she wants them so desperately. Later, Cady thinks back on it, and in her mind, where everything is a fairy tale, she calls revolution bloody, but this isn’t revolution; this is selfishness.
At the end of We Were Liars, Harris has 3 new goldens. One could say it’s one for each dead kid. Or one to symbolize each daughter? They are 3, after all. Maybe Harris now believes the number 3 is his lucky number. By the end of the show, Harris is struggling with dementia or some sort of trauma caused by the head injury. Yet, he still can’t give up because he was brought up fighting his own brothers. Again, a set of 3. Having 3 new dogs implies a new beginning, just like the new house. Hopefully, this time around, they won’t be given pills, and instead, they’ll be left to roam free and unmedicated, not hide from anyone.
