Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-1705775-20170901162345/@comment-4708882-20170902065814

Yeah I remember vaguely reading the novel (actually planning to re-read it as well) and also remember it being recommended due to it giving more insight. It vaguely alludes due to in-universe speculation of the Cujo being influenced by a killer from a previous book like a curse upon the setting. That said the book does give insight like how Cujo is in pain and he thinks. One of the pages in my skimm (page 98 in my copy) mentions how no he longer recognizes one of his owners and sees them as a monsterous figure (as in actual monsters) but fights the urge to kill the boy then.

The story explores more on how Cujo merely wants to be left alone and the pain to stop which as his mind deteriorated became increasingly violent due to believing the people were the ones making him sick. As one of the victims goes to get a gun realizing Cujo was infected with rabies but tries to talk to him to quote the copy I have: "To Cujo, the words coming from THE MAN meant nothing. They were meaningless sounds, like the wind. What mattered was the smell coming from THE MAN. It was hot, rank and pungent. It was the smell of fear. It was maddening and unbearable. He suddenly understood THE MAN had made him sick" (page 111). Both versions go out of their way to make Cujo very sympathetic and one of the final parts even state on how Cujo only wanted to be a good dog but ultimately didn't have the choice in the end. If we count the book personally I lean more towards keeping him but just barely due to the insight of his thoughts. Is he doing it for pleasure? No of course not, he's doing it due to suffering and under the impression if left alone he'll feel better.

For Ringmaster I've never seen the film or at least that I can recall. If we go by the original film based on what I'm hearing he should probably go. If made an actual villain in other Disney stories then the film info should be excluded since in the film he seems merely to be a jerk.