I’ve made peace with my fate, and if I’m whining now, it’s only because of the pain and the cold—because my spirit hasn’t yet gone out of my body…A dog is hard to kill, his spirit clings to life” (2).
-- Sharik (chapter 1)

Importance: Sharik thinks this to himself while in the streets of Moscow. He is cold and hungry and believes that he may die relatively soon. However, his internal resolve and determination emphasize a sense of dignity and perseverance in his character. This dignified portrait of Sharik contrasts sharply with the much more unruly post-transformation Sharikov.

There is absolutely no necessity to learn how to read; meat smells a mile off, anyway. Nevertheless, if you live in Moscow and have a brain in your head, you'll pick up reading willy-nilly, and without attending any courses. Out of the forty thousand or so Moscow dogs, only a total...
-- Narration (chapter 2)