"Necessity has the face of a dog"
About this Quote
The line also works because it refuses sentimentality. Dogs in Latin American streets can be companions, scavengers, or omens; they survive on leftovers and proximity to human life. That’s necessity: not heroic, just relentless. It stares. It pants. It makes you compromise. The metaphor implies a kind of moral abrasion: when people are pushed by need, they don’t always become virtuous - they become practical. They beg, steal, barter, submit, and sometimes rationalize what they never imagined doing.
In Marquez’s fictional universe, where history, poverty, and political violence press on ordinary families, “necessity” is rarely a personal failing. It’s a social condition with teeth. The genius is the image’s double edge: the dog can be the faithful companion you keep, or the stray that keeps you. Either way, it doesn’t let you look away.
Quote Details
| Topic | Wisdom |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Marquez, Gabriel Garcia. (2026, January 16). Necessity has the face of a dog. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/necessity-has-the-face-of-a-dog-124943/
Chicago Style
Marquez, Gabriel Garcia. "Necessity has the face of a dog." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/necessity-has-the-face-of-a-dog-124943/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Necessity has the face of a dog." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/necessity-has-the-face-of-a-dog-124943/. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.











