

Hin stayed most of the time with Howl's friends, running from Madame Suliman.
None of them were sure if he was a spy or a friend, and nor am I sure about
that.

Was Hin a prisoner or a spy?


CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-14T07:25:18.460
66215
2022-02-17T23:02:15.317
2022-01-15T03:43:10.017
35679
65034
question
howls-moving-castle
Was Hin (Madam Suliman's pet) a spy or a prisoner who wanted to get freedom?


Hin (or Heen as written by the US localization) is Madame Sulliman's dog.

We know this because Sulliman tells Sophie this directly.

> Sophie: That's not your dog, is it?
>
> Sulliman: His name is Heen. He's my errand dog,

It would appear then Hin is initially working for Sulliman.

When Sophie and Howl make their getaway, Hin joins Sophie to live in the
castle as a normal everyday dog with everyday day struggles. At the end, we
see Sulliman communicating with Hin through her crystal ball who questions his
prolonged absence: "why didn't you report in earlier?". She also calls Hin a
"traitor".

We can surmise that Sulliman sent Hin to be a spy but that Hin abandoned his
post after being swayed by Sophie's conviction.

Spy and prisoner both imply obedience but I wouldn't characterize his betrayal
as disloyalty. Rather, I would say that Hin is a free agent and exhibits
compassion. Coupled with his humility, Hin is quite an admirable dog.


CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-18T22:49:20.307
66239
2022-01-18T22:49:20.307
30386
66215
answer