Significance of Sam Roger's dog references?

Significance of Sam Roger's dog references? - Unrecognizable man with dog on protest

In 2011's Margin Call, what is the significance of the recurring references to Sam Roger's (Kevin Spacey) dog?

Edit (fleshing out question): Does he have the dog put down? He does mention that it is costing him 1000 dollars a day to keep her alive and they show him comforting her on what looks like a table at a veterinary hospital. There's also the point about burying her in the lawn of his ex-wife.



Best Answer

His dying dog is a metaphor for his compassion to those negatively affected by the economic crisis. The dog is used as a device to portray his empathy; the death of the dog reflects his lost moral sense, evident in his decision to stay at the firm and profit on the losses of others.




Pictures about "Significance of Sam Roger's dog references?"

Significance of Sam Roger's dog references? - Photo of People Holding Siamese Cat and Chihuahua
Significance of Sam Roger's dog references? - Photo of a Woman in Gray Activewear Doing Aerobics
Significance of Sam Roger's dog references? - Photo Of Woman Beside Dog



Why did Sam need the money Margin Call?

After 34 years, it wasn't quite believable that Sam still "needs" the money-- apparently to support his luxury=loving ex-wife in the big suburban house where he buries his beloved dog.

Is Margin Call based on a real company?

Zachery Quinto, left, and Pen Bradley in Margin Call \u2013 'the best fictional treatment of the current economic crisis'. It's just another day in 2008 for Margin Call's unnamed investment bank, which is based on Lehman Brothers. Profits are down and 80% of the staff on the trading floor are being laid off.

What is the ending of Margin Call?

Tuld asks Rogers to stay on for two more years and Rogers reluctantly accepts. Tuld also informs Rogers that Sullivan is going to be promoted. The film ends with Rogers burying his euthanized dog in his ex-wife's front yard during the night.



Black Rifle Coffee Podcast: Ep 204 Sam Rogers




More answers regarding significance of Sam Roger's dog references?

Answer 2

The dog is a metaphore for his job and the business he is in (or at least the team that he is running). Rogers is a compassionate character, but also a practical one; he cares about the work, but is not afraid to take hard decisions. His speech at the end shows that he recognises what he has done. The film focuses on his moral choices.

The dog is a selfish indulgence - he spends a fortune on it. It is sick with cancer, as is the company he works for. Both are living on borrowed time, being kept alive by money. In the end, when it is clear the music has stopped, he puts the dog down and likewise kills his current business (by destroying the relationship with his clients). He has no control over either event. In the end, he accepts what has happened, buries the dog, mentally buries the events of that day (he decides not to quit) and moves on.

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Brett Sayles, Sharon McCutcheon, Pavel Danilyuk, cottonbro