Running with Sherman

Underscoring all else in Running with Sherman is an exploration of the connection that humans form with animals. The task of building a team comprised of humans and animals that will allow Sherman to run the World Championship in Fairplay is the overarching plot of the narrative, but the emotional core of Running with Sherman is the communion that Christopher McDougall forms with Sherman, enabling them to successfully complete the race. The recognition of this vital aspect to their success—the connection they form—allows McDougall to examine a wide variety of human-animal connections, especially the restorative power of human and animal relationships.

McDougall’s character arc is charted through the development of his ability to read Sherman’s behaviors and to finally share his desire with the donkey. In order to do this, he must increasingly recognize Sherman in terms of being his equal, rather than acting as a domineering owner against an animal’s obstinate silence. This act, of bringing oneself to an equal state with another, is the basis of true connection. The primary method of achieving this that McDougall follows is by trying to understand what is motivating Sherman’s behavior based on his perception of Sherman’s experience, an approach suggested by the animal behaviorist Temple Grandin (See: Background).