Unveiling Animal Individuality: Depictions of Equine Personalities in Jane Smiley’s Fiction

Li'min Wu

Abstract


This paper explores the representation of animal individuality and personality in Jane Smiley’s literary works, specifically focusing on equine characters in Horse Heaven and The Horses of Oak Valley Ranch series. Smiley’s narrative vividly delineates distinct equine personalities, challenging traditional anthropocentric biases and highlighting the uniqueness of each animal. Animals in her novels cease to serve merely as symbols or metaphors for humans; instead, they emerge as fully realized characters, each possessing its own crucial status and distinct personality. Smiley’s narrative intention is to portray animals not as a collective entity but as individuals with their own complexities. The novels underscore the significance of recognizing and appreciating animal individuality, challenging readers to view animals through a lens of uniqueness rather than uniformity.

 


Keywords


animal individuality; personality; subjectivity; equine characters; Jane Smiley

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/13269

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