Is he bloodthirsty when he says, One must kill (line 178), or is this statement purely symbolic? I dont think that he is bloodthirsty when he says, One must kill. I believe that this statement is purely symbolic, and was probably just said out of anger for the porcupine. Everyone says that porcupines should be killed; the Indians, Mexicans, Americans all say the same. Everyone says this about the porcupines, because the gnaw away at the bark of the pine trees leaving nothing but white flesh showing, thus causing the trees to die from the top. He also says that the porcupines are repulsive looking.I think he just wanted to be rid of the porcupine. He was upset at the porcupine for sticking the dog with his needles. He also went through a big deal to get the porcupine quills out of the dog. The dog was in pain during this ordeal. The porcupine was a pest on his property and in the way of things. He even says that he felt that guns were very repugnant; sinister, mean. He decides to finally kill the porcupine by hitting it hard on the nose. He is glad when the porcupine is dead and out the way. He then buries the porcupine in the adobe hole. The only nice thing that he says about the porcupine is that it appears to be a female porcupine. He then notices another porcupine, and feels that this one needs to be shot to avoid the same situation as the first one....
