Student Question
What is the Hound of Hell's name in Good Omens?
Quick answer:
In Good Omens, the Hound of Hell, sent to Adam Young, the Antichrist, is named "Dog." This naming subverts expectations, as Adam desires a "Proper Mongrel," leading the hellhound to transform into a small, puppy-like dog. This act mirrors the biblical Adam's naming of animals and symbolizes a rite of passage for the young Antichrist.
In Neil Gaiman's Good Omens, Adam Young, the child who is actually
the Antichrist in the making, is sent a hellhound for his 11th birthday by the
denizens of Hell who watch over him. Not only does the beast exist to protect
him from harm and keep him safe for the apocalyptic events to come, but great
significance is ascribed to Adam's naming and mastery of the beast. It is a
distorted blasphemy of the biblical Adam's naming of the beasts in the garden,
and it serves as something of a rite of passage for the Antichrist.
Against the expectations of the Infernal Powers, Adam insists that he desires a
"Proper Mongrel" and chooses to simply name the beast "Dog." Bound to serve its
master completely, the hulking beast transforms into a diminutive small dog
with a puppy-like disposition.
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