The description of the mangy dog that torments Soaphead Church in this chapter contrasts markedly with the description of the dog that belongs to the picture-perfect white family in the first-grade primer. The old dog, whose weary carcass vexes Soaphead, is the antithesis of the primer's playful, perky dog.
Elihue Micah Whitcomb, known as Soaphead Church, is nauseated by the sickly old dog, just as he is nauseated by most people. Yet he is comfortable with the realization that he is a misanthrope, for he realized his disdain for people at an early age. Paradoxically, however, he has dabbled in professions that have placed him squarely in their midst. For a time, he was an Anglican priest, then a social caseworker, and now he is a "Reader, Advisor, and Interpreter of Dreams," a career choice that promises him a little money while guaranteeing him a minimal amount of close contact with people.
Reared in a family that believed their academic and intellectual achievements were based on their mixed blood, Soaphead Church cultivated habits and tastes that separated him from all things African. His skills in language and self-deception have allowed him to palm himself off as a minister and faith healer. People come to him asking for basic needs: love, health, and money.
