1.4 Using the Johnnie Bratten interview

Preliminary questions

1. How does the scene with the dog represent a turning point Janie’s narrative?
2. What was the choice Janie made that led to this incident?
3. What were the consequences of this incident?

Introductory script

You are now going to listen to Johnnie Bratten, an older man who lives with his wife in Tick Bite, North Carolina. Because he did not expect such severe flooding, he left his dog behind. The scene he describes is reminiscent of the description in the novel, but with different results.

The recording

Play the Johnnie Bratten oral history excerpt. Running time: 2 minutes 29 seconds.

Download recording (Right-click or option-click) | About the recording

Transcript

Johnnie Bratten

So the following day, there was water everywhere. We were surrounded more or less. We couldn’t get back down here. It was about — I know it was two days or three days until I got back down here. We had forgotten we left that dog down here.

Charles Thompson

This was a little chihuahua.

Johnnie Bratten

And the water, it was out above my waist. A friend of mine lived over there had a boat. So, he was out with the boat, and he brought me down here to the back door. He drove the boat all the way down to the back door. I reached down under water to the doorknob and got that and pushed it open. Of course, everything was floating in there then. I had to push the door open to get the furniture and stuff out of the way. I got in and walked all the way around to the back bedroom. The dog was floating around on a mattress in there. She was in my bedroom. I got her off and got her out and went back out with the man on the boat. For the —

Charles Thompson

When you found that dog, how had the dog survived?

Johnnie Bratten

Oh, she had been floating around on the mattress.

Charles Thompson

And what did she think when you first grabbed her?

Johnnie Bratten

She was ( ). She headed for higher ground. She headed for the top of my head and I managed to hold her down with my arm. Got her out of my arm and brought her back into the boat. She was in shock. Carried her on back home. She’s been right with me, close to me ever since. Have you noticed that? She’s been around pretty close. She’s not going to wander off too far. It affected her. I’m sure it did because it affected everybody else.

Charles Thompson

How did it affect you?

Johnnie Bratten

Shock.

Charles Thompson

So when you first came back and saw your place, what does shock feel like? Most of us haven’t felt it before.

Johnnie Bratten

You’re just dumbfounded. That’s my best explanation of it.

Charles Thompson

You can’t think of any words?

Johnnie Bratten

Right, you can’t think. You know everything is gone. You try to cope with it the best you can. It just doesn’t want to leave you, but you just have to keep turning your mind away from it as much as you can until you get around where you can think to do anything.

Follow-up questions

1. Describe in what ways these two dog scenes are similar and different, including their implications for a happy or sad ending.
2. How does the dog in Chapter 18 embody the emotions of the characters in the novel? Likewise, how does the dog in Johnnie Bratten’s story explain some of his reactions to the flood?
3. How do you think Johnnie feels about leaving his dog behind? What different choices might he make in the future?

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Related topics

• Search LEARN NC for more resources on Hurricane Floyd, Johnnie Bratten, Lenoir County, North Carolina, Their Eyes Were Watching God, floods, and ticks.