No love lost?

Mention over in the Balto/Canine Art section regarding postulating the appearance of Balto's father got me thinking.  That led me to revisit the scene where Balto tells Aleu about her grandparents.  The word choice there struck me as...intriguing to say the least.

"...My dad was a husky who had pups with a wolf."

Not fell in love with.  Not had some great emotional attachment with.  Just..."had pups with."

On the one hand, I rather like this unanthropomorphized take on parentage among the non-human characters, especially as it's handled well.  Without putting it as bluntly as, say, "mated with," the writers managed to keep it from sounding like Balto's parents were ever "married."

On the other hand, it leaves open a whole can of worms and unanswered questions.  If there was no love, why did Aniu mate with a husky?  What were the circumstances of their meeting to begin with?  Just what kind of character was Balto's father?  Why didn't he have anything to do with raising the pups?

Where that last one's concerned, later in the same conversation quoted above, Balto makes it sound as though the only parent he ever knew was his mother.  Did his father die in the wilderness?  Did he leave Aniu after mating with her and return to Nome?  Did Balto ever meet him?  And, if he did, did he know that was his father?

So many questions, not nearly enough answers.  (Don't we all just hate that? )  More so than trying to get those questions answered (you're welcome to try, of course ), I wanted to point out the wording Balto used when discussing his parents.  And, of course, alternative interpretations of that are encouraged.  Heavens know I'm not the say all, end all authority on the matter. ;)

A very complicated subject indeed. Maybe it was a forbidden love. Maybe his father left him and his mother because it would only bring trouble for them. I myself dont think the pack baltos mother was with would be happy about there relationship. But then again balto's mother might have been a lone wolf. So many questions with so many possible answers.

Yeah snowy. What about Balto's dad? They really need ta answer more questions in balto, dontcha think? Another thing I was wondering was how balto met Boris, and those dumb polar bears, which I hate, and i don't even no how they got into the movie, i guess they werre just put there by the animators ta make the movie more interesting in the eyes of kids. They really don't have any bussiness whatso ever being in the movie. ( I agree with u AC, I wanna kill Boris and the Bears! )

Most animal father leave the caring for the young ones to the females. I'm not sure if it applies to wolves. Or maybe his father had to move with his owner somewhere else.

As for the choice of words,I'd say that was just some mistake they made.Not much effort was put into the production of the second movie anyway.

My useless question became usefull! Thats a first....o.O

Hhmm...I don't think I could ever answer these questions, but I think about Balto ever meeting him, I think he might have, I mean...He had to have known his father was a husky right? I mean, he says he's part dog part wolf, and I bet many dogs/people told him already he's a half breed, but who knows? Maybe Balto's dad was a Golden Retriever...So somehow he must have found out that his father was, specifically, a "husky." Or maybe not...I'm just throwing in a nut here...probably not making any sense...Its late and I wanna go to sleep.

~Aleu~

(Edited by alueus007 at 9:19 pm on April 24, 2003)

Well, either Balto briefly met his father, thus learning about his husky heritage, or his mother told him about his father. �It could have very well been one of those traveling things.

Perhaps Aniu traveled into human terrority and came to rely on a husky. �As time passed they 'had pups', but Aniu was run off because the humans were untrusting of wolves.

Or perhaps it was the other way around. �Balto's father could have been lost, and wandered into a wolf pack. �The wolves are untrusting of dogs, but somehow Aniu saves him. �They 'have pups' and this becomes to much for the wolf pack to bear. �First they run Balto's father off, then shortly after Aniu gives birth, she is also forced to leave.

Sadly the two never met again? o_O; �I don't know, i'm just tossing up ideas.

Wow I  never really thought about all this now im so interested not to mention im thinking its a great new idea to write Balto fanfiction around.
*Smile* hmm maybe ill give it a try sometime to rid myself of writer's block.

*Ash*

Nice question, Snowy. Sure dawned my own personal thoughts. I opt for the powers of fanfiction in solving this! :biggrin: (I just love 'em...)

kaynine> You can be right too. I read a book on wolves once, and it says that only a dominant female is allowed to have cubs. The alpha male, plus the other males will hunt and regurge (yeah) the food back for them.

Ewwww...!!! I can't imagine putting that stuff in your mouth,let alone eat it! I think I'm going to be sick! And here I am thinking only birds do that.

Oh a fanfiction sounds like a wonderful idea. ^^  

And I though everyone knew that Kaynine. ^_^;  Thankfully it doesn't look quite as disgusting as it sounds.

I think they put that stuff in canned pet food and Hot dogs :cheesy:

Silver>Not me. I haven't always been the brightest of the lot.

Starlioness>LOL! Bit disgusting,but still good for a laugh!

Starlioness> Truely fascinating, and inspiring. I've always wondered about what kind of stuff do they put on A&W's Coney Dogs (since it wasn't pure mustard for sure). Could it be...*gags* :biggrin:

yeah, I stole that line form Snow Dogs.. personally I think they put in Hamburger and Sausage ;)

Well, all speculation aside, at least we know it's a husky, which rules out Steele.  ;)

That would just suck.  Aniu already has a magical ghost body.  The least we need is ... "Balto, <i>I</i> am your father!"

The food that wolves regurgitate for their young is approximately equivalent in texture, function, and probably taste to a common human item: baby food.

If you're willing to feed your little tyke "mashed jicama and beets with tapioca" then I don't see why you'd be repulsed by what wolves do. ;)

I guess you're right,Ag.If it looks the same as the thing that first entered it's mouth,then it's not that bad.Baby food's worse.

Exactly Ag, its kinda like everyone drinking from the same water bottle...sorta

CWTyger> that would be bad...LOL

CW> Wonder what Balto's face would look like upon hearing that?

LongBow>Yeah, with someone's spit in it...:biggrin:

kaynine>Ahhh, the Luke-Darth Vader scene...reminds me of Steve Oederk's (sp) 'Thumb Wars' for that matter. but yeah, Balto would be like :o.

Worse still,I think he'd commit suicide or take to the Goose side! LOL!

Mabey its just me but I think The writeres of the movie just wanted balto to explain (in a matter of seconds) where he came from. With no secrets or mysteries to be solved attached.

PS. Hello I am Back from so long ago i forget when But hello everybody