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My Love for Animals and How They Have Strengthened My Compassion for All Living Things

Categories: Animals

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Words: 889 |

Published: Aug 23, 2018

Words: 889 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Works Cited

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). (n.d.). About Us. Retrieved from https://www.aspca.org/about-us
Animal Legal Defense Fund. (n.d.). About ALDF.
Animal Welfare Institute. (n.d.). Our Mission. Retrieved from https://awionline.org/content/our-mission
Humane Society of the United States. (n.d.). About Us.
PETA. (n.d.). About PETA.
Smith, J. A. (2016). The Benefits of Animals - for Individuals, Families, Communities, and Society. Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/animal-emotions/201607/the-benefits-animals-individuals-families-communities-and-society
University of Missouri Extension. (2016). The Benefits of Pets for Human Health.
Van Houtte, B. A. (2017). The impact of companion animals on human health and well-being: A review of literature. International Journal of Social Science Studies, 5(10), 68-75.
Wells, D. L. (2019). The effects of animals on human health and well-being. Journal of Social Issues, 75(3), 523-543.
Wilson, C. C., & Turner, D. C. (2008). Companion animals in human health. In Handbook on animal-assisted therapy (pp. 7-26). Academic Press.

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Animal narrativity: Engaging with story in a more-than-human world

2016, Animal Subjects 2.0

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Essay on Animals: How to Write a Persuasive Paper

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This girl (with help from her two black cats) is writing an essay on animals for school.

When writing a persuasive paper, your purpose is to convince your audience to agree with your idea or accept your recommendation for a course of action. If you’ve decided to write an essay on animals (either for a school assignment or for another purpose), here are the steps to follow.

1. Choose a topic

Some sample topics for an essay on animals include:

Everyone should spay or neuter their pets .
Adoption is the best option.
Dogs should be treated as individuals, not discriminated against because of breed.
Microchipping is important to keep pets with their families.

2. Research information on the topic

You can do research online and at the library, plus talk to experts in the field, to get more information. While reviewing the materials, look for interesting facts or tidbits that will hook your readers.

3. Create a flow chart

4. write the thesis statement for your paper.

Now it's time to fill in the flow chart, first with your thesis statement. For example: "Everyone should spay or neuter their pets." This statement will go in the first box in your flow chart. The flow chart is a visual way to help you create an outline. An outline will help you organize the information in a logical order. Your finished product will have an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.

5. Write the reasons and supporting data

The body will contain the reasons and the supporting data listed on your flow chart. The body not only contains evidence to support your opinion but also addresses one or two opposing views.

Be sure to include your counter-argument when stating the opposing view. For example, one opposing view to the above statement might be this: "Many people think that an animal who has been spayed or neutered will become lazy and fat." Your counter-argument could be this: "This is a misconception. The main reason pets become overweight is lack of exercise and overfeeding."

6. Note engaging facts

Keep the flow chart handy as you read through all the information you have gathered. In a separate place, write “Hooks and facts to grab the reader’s attention,” and as you review your material, jot down cool facts that you come across. For example: "Just one female cat and her offspring can produce an estimated 420,000 cats in only seven years."

7. Consider all angles

Be sure to address a wide variety of reasons to support your topic statement. For example: Think about pet overpopulation, overcrowded shelters, the costs to your city or town, the effects on pet health, and pet behavior. What would your audience find most important?

8. Expand each reason individually

Before writing your actual paper, keep your facts straight by writing each reason and the supporting evidence on separate sheets of paper or documents.

9. Write your essay

Write your first draft. Then, revise your outline and draft as needed until you have your final draft. If necessary, include a bibliography.

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A Dog’s-eye view

By Juliet Marillier | December 6, 2012 | 37 Comments

I made numerous attempts to write these stories, trying many different approaches to style and structure. That was unusual for me – I generally have a good intuitive feel for what will work. The problem in this instance lay with the voice.

Each of the stories had an animal as the main protagonist, the character whose journey the piece was built around. The obvious way to write the story was to give the animal the point of view. The easier, less effective way would be to write in detached, omniscient third person. I knew that would lessen the impact of the story.

The trouble is, animals don’t think in human words. Dogs respond to a certain number of familiar words and phrases, such as their name and various commands. They are sensitive to tone of voice and body language. But their thought patterns are not those of a human being, and I suspect the workings of a cat’s mind are even more alien. We often interpret the behaviour of our domestic pets through the filter of our human perception, but we can’t really know what is going on inside that feline or canine mind.

Here’s an excerpt from my most recent draft of the dog story. Muffin, a terrier, has sensed that his owner is about to go away. Pooty is a recently adopted, smaller dog. Yes, she does have a silly name – it came with her from the shelter.

His dinner is late. Pack Leader rushes about doing things. Muffin feels hollow inside, hollow and jangly and wrong. Pooty runs around the house. She has a nap. She plays with her squeaky toy until Pack Leader yells at her. Pooty cringes. Pack Leader picks her up and cuddles her, making soothing noises. Muffin watches. Finally, dinner comes. Muffin has a mouthful, but it just doesn’t taste right. He goes under the table. Pooty empties her bowl and licks it clean. She glances at Muffin, then sidles towards his leftovers. Muffin barks, and she retreats. Pack Leader crouches down and speaks to Muffin in her special voice. Muffin is not taken in. He lets her fondle his ears and scratch his belly. Her tone tells him she’s upset. ‘Calm and quiet, Muffin,’ she says. ‘Be nice to Pooty.’ Wretched Pooty! She changed everything. Muffin is not scared of big dogs – well, usually not – or thunderstorms. But when things change, when The Way Things Should Be is forgotten, his belly fills with terror. He feels it now, deep down, like an ant starting to crawl inside him, an ant that may soon become a monster. Pack Leader opens the door and calls them outside. Muffin sulks, but Pack Leader throws the ball, and all else disappears. Run, run, run, snatch! Waaaaait – run, run, run, catch! He forgets the suitcase. Run, run, run, grab! He even forgets Pooty, who’s digging in a corner.

I soon got bogged down with this style. What should have been simple (What name does your dog use for you?) became ridiculously difficult – if I had another go at writing this I wouldn’t use Pack Leader, but I failed to think of anything better. I think the story reflects my understanding of canine behaviour, and the simplicity of Muffin’s thoughts works OK. But I was always aware of how inappropriate human language is to convey animal thoughts and feelings. The story became easier to write once Muffin and Pooty were alone in the kennels and not interacting much with humans.

Knowing there were many successful stories out there with animal protagonists, I looked at a sample to see how the writers approached the problem, starting with a couple of classics.

Animal stories have changed with the times, reflecting changes in society. Fashions in writing have also changed, so a mode of storytelling that worked brilliantly for a 19 th century audience may not be so effective for contemporary readers. I limited my research to stories in which the animal is presented semi-realistically, since if the animal is anthropomorphised or the book has magical/fantasy elements, the writer doesn’t face the same challenges with voice.

Jack London’s The Call of the Wild (1903) was hugely popular in its time. Buck, a rich family’s pet dog, is stolen and becomes a sled dog in the Alaskan hinterland before going off to run with a wolf pack. The novel contains overwrought language and racist values; it also has a strong message against cruelty to animals. Despite its flaws, it’s a grand and thrilling story. We see Buck through the author’s eyes, complete with philosophical commentary on his actions, so there’s a distance between reader and canine protagonist. However, the dog is a well-drawn character and his thoughts and actions ring true. When we are in Buck’s POV the language is kept simple and appropriate. This passage comes after Buck has seen one of the working dogs lose a fight, then get torn apart by the pack: ‘The scene often came back to Buck to trouble him in his sleep. So that was the way. No fair play. Once down, that was the end of you. Well, he would see to it that he never went down.’

Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty (1877) is told in first person by the horse of the title. The writer used the story to draw public attention to issues of cruelty to animals. Beauty has human perceptions; he understands human speech and motivations and can comment on his own situation. For its period, this is a story told simply and directly – it is a children’s book – and the reader can suspend disbelief quite easily.

A later classic was Richard Adams’ Watership Down (1972) with its cast of rabbits. I prefer Adams’ novel The Plague Dogs (1977), a powerful story about two dogs escaping from an animal testing laboratory. Stalwart Rowf and brain-damaged Snitter talk to each other in English, and have conversations with a fox who speaks in heavy dialect. The gripping nature of the story compensates for Adams’ wordy and rather selfconscious style.

I recently began reading A Dog’s Journey by W. Bruce Cameron (a companion book to A Dog’s Purpose.) Cameron makes the dog, Buddy, the first person narrator, but includes human dialogue of which Buddy can only understand his own name and his familiar commands. The combination is illogical – if Buddy thinks in English, why can’t he understand English speech? Despite this, I imagine the book will be immensely popular. Cameron’s understanding of a dog’s natural instincts strengthens the narrative.

Writer friends gave me a long list of successful stories with animal protagonists, many of which are outside the scope of this discussion because the animals in them act or think like humans. Top of my reading list is the wonderfully imagined cat-world fantasy, Tailchaser’s Song by Tad Williams.

What should you remember when writing a story with an animal protagonist?

When in the animal POV, keep the language simple. Tailor the vocabulary to the animal’s perceptions. Short sentences work well.
First person is rarely convincing. It requires a high degree of writing expertise.
The better you know animals, the better you will write them. You need a sound understanding of animal behaviour to craft this kind of story.
Animal POV is easier to write well when the animal is interacting with others of its kind, not with humans!

The story of Muffin’s terrifying stay in the kennels has been set aside for now and won’t appear in Prickle Moon. I wrote instead a much darker animal story called The Angel of Death, which has a human narrator.

Have you written fiction with animal protagonists? What approach did you take?

Photo credit: © Photodynamx | Dreamstime.com

Juliet Marillier has written twenty-four novels for adults and young adults and two collections of short fiction. Her works of historical fantasy have been published around the world and have won numerous awards. Juliet’s most recent series was Warrior Bards, of which the third and final book, A Song of Flight, was published in 2021. Her collection of reimagined fairy tales, Mother Thorn and Other Tales of Courage and Kindness, had its trade release in 2022. Mother Thorn is illustrated by Kathleen Jennings and published by Serenity Press. Juliet is currently working on a two-book fantasy series, the first instalment of which will be published by New Dawn in 2025. When not writing, Juliet looks after a small crew of rescue dogs.

37 Comments

I read a great book (it’s very ‘easy reading’) from the dogs POV called ‘Dog on it’. It’s a detective story, but what really stood out was how the author really captured the essence of dog. It was very smart, witty writing that he made appear simple. I was really impressed. Worth having a browse through. The book should be on my shelf, i could find out the author.

I never thought about writing a story from an animal’s POV but as a child, I loved Black Beauty. I’d never thought about how difficult it could be. You’re right, finding the perfect tone is a challenge. Making something completely imaginative take on a realistic tone is a fine balance.

Your example certainly illustrates the difficulty. Now that I think about it, the animal stories I’ve loved as a child and as an adult are all either human POV or anthropomorphized. I liked Watership Down and before that, The Wind in the Willows. My wife read The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein, which we’d heard broke new ground in animal POV, but afterward she advised me not to bother. I love animals and they play an important role in my work (mostly horses), but always from a human POV.

Great tips. Good luck with a worthy pursuit, Juliet. I hope others weigh in with feedback.

I am writing a modern-day myth with a sunglasses-wearing komodo dragon named Rex who speaks through rap music. He is one of two faithful and supportive sidekicks to the princess hero. :)

Wow, Juliet. What an interesting and insightful post.

I love the reminder that we humans like to impose things (our view of the world, our voice) on animals. But that doesn’t honor the animal . . . gosh, we humans can be so arrogant!

Thank you for sharing this with us. (And I love the photo. Sweet dog.)

Juliet, I’ve experimented with ideas that center around a shape-shifting protagonist–a man who shifts into animal form–and even that I’ve found hugely challenging to write, to come up with a voice that accurately reflects what human consciousness would sound like when stretched and compressed in equal measures into what an animal’s view of the world might be. The idea keeps nagging at me . . . maybe someday. :)

Michelle Paver’s Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series contains portions that are written from the POV of a wolf (though there are other human POV characters, as well) and IMO she does an EXCELLENT job with them in terms of language choices and thought patterns; truly, her ‘wolf’ voice is probably the most compelling and convincing animal point of view I’ve read.

Thanks, Anna. I have seen the Michelle Paver books but not yet read them – another thing to add to my massive ‘to be read’ pile!

Goodness, I would really suck at writing from an animal’s POV. I never know what the heck my dog wants, and I’ve loved her for 11 years.

Kudos to you, Juliet, for being insightful enough to even attempt such a feat.

Denise Willson Author of A Keeper’s Truth

Another example to consider is the final chapter of Barbara Kingsolver’s “Prodigal Summer,” where she uses third-person-close narration for a coyote. Her choice of vocabulary is rich, but always reflective of the nuance a coyote might actually discern:

“She had reached the place where the trail descended into a field of wild apple trees, and she hesitated there. She wouldn’t have minded nosing through the hummocks of tall grass and briars for a few sweet, sun-softened apples. That whole field and the orchard below it had a welcoming scent, a noticeable absence of chemical burn in the air, that always made it attractive to birds and field mice, just as surely as it was drawing her right now. But she felt restless and distracted to be this far from her sister and the children. She turned uphill, back toward safer ground where she could disappear inside slicks and shadows if she needed to.”

Animals don’t think in language, or stories for that matter, they think in terms of their senses, of their direct experiences. So as a writer, isn’t our job in an animal story to translate that sense of experience? In a way, it’s the same for our human characters, too, because so much of our experience is, well, experiential, rather than linguistic. I do think animals, especially smart animals, have experiences of sufficient complexity to warrant more sophisticated literary techniques, like the kinds of sentences Kingsolver employs above.

I loved ‘Prodigal Summer’, Jane. You’re right, the sensory description does conjure up for us a wild creature’s way of thinking and feeling. And what beautiful writing.

Your comments caught my eye Jane and the example of the author’s way of having the coyote communicate is the best I’ve ever read. Thank you for sharing this and I’m definitely going to buy this book. For anyone else interested it is on Amazon Uk at a very cheap price indeed. As Juliet commented….The writing is beautiful.

Let’s not forget Temple Grandin here when we discuss animal perceptions. I’ve heard the woman interviewed several times. and she lacks the natural sense of story that writers who don’t have to overcome autism possess. Her idea of how an animal thinks in stories is the rapid sequencing of sensory experiences, like running a movie in 3D with smells and other senses heightened in a way that replaces narrative.

I also work as a poet, and sometimes I have struggled with a style called L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E, that is, the deliberate obscuring of the conventions of grammar. It’s amazing how hard it is to write that way. I think that both Juliet and Jane have identified the key issues around this POV, especially important in writing for children.

I’ve read some of Temple Grandin’s work and I find her ideas about how animals think convincing.

Interestingly, she differs from Cesar Millan in her view of the way we interact with our domestic pets, dogs in particular. Temple Grandin has said that because we tend to infantilise our pets, our relationship with them is more like adoptive parent/child than pack leader/pack member. This colours the way we write about them.

Thanks for these insights! While sometimes I get the feeling that writing from a cat’s point of view would be fun (because I live with a cat who has a strong personality), I know it would never work with me. I’d probably anthropomorphize the story and it would go down hill from there. But it is wonderful when writers master this challenge. A difference in species should not divide us from a good story!

Books from animal POV were some of my favourites as a child and they seem to be making a bit of a comeback. I prefer somewhat more complex language that captures the animal’s experience; anyone who lives with an animal knows their feelings are more subtle than they could possibly explain in the words they know. I tend to enjoy even further anthropomorphosis for the sake of humour or drama.

This story of mine is from dog POV and won Five Stop Story’s August competition (warning: adult themes!) https://www.fivestopstory.com/read/story.php?storyId=3660

By the way, if anyone wants an example of a powerful opening, look at Jack London’s “White Fang” – I re-read it recently and it is gripping!

Thank you Juliet for your interesting thoughts on writing a story from the POV of animals. I have written both poetry spoken from my cat’s POV and confess I have her speaking as a human would. I also wrote a short stoy based on John Clare’s poem about the grasshpper and the ant. Again I used human speech for both creatures, though this was a story for children.

Your thoughts have now got me thinking……. Perhaps stories for children would be acceptable using human language? As I said….You’ve got me thinking!!!

Another animal POV book that has gotten lots of praise is THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN by Garth Stein.

“Squirrel!” (OK, somebody had to say it.) But seriously, one of the things the writers of the movie Up! captured well in that running gag was how powerful survival-based behaviors are, even after millenia of domestication. That was something you captured in your excerpt too, Juliet.

Your point about living among aliens is on target as well. A long time ago I reminded my writers’ group that we live among aliens: our spouse or significant other, our kids, our in-laws–to say nothing of our pets! Aliens don’t have to come from another country or another planet.

This is something science fiction and fantasy writers have struggled with for centuries. No matter what we do, our aliens end up being humans in rubber suits to some degree. They have to be: they wouldn’t be comprehensible otherwise. The same is true for earthly animals. We will ALWAYS and unavoidably view and understand them through the lens of our humanness. Once we’re aware of that, we can start to peel away those layers and emphasize the characteristics that make that animal who and what it is–IF that’s what we want to do (as opposed to making it a human in disguise for other writerly purposes).

Great point. And human language is the tool we have to set these stories down, so we have to use it even if it’s a blunt instrument at times. I guess there’s no ‘right way’ or ‘wrong way’ to do it – different approaches work for different kinds of narrative and for different readers. A Dog’s Purpose was a New York Times bestseller, proving that what one person finds hard to swallow, others lap up with enthusiasm.

Ursula K. LeGuin has several brilliant stories in nonhuman POVs. Ants who are artists and dancers; a worried wolf wife; a decrepit Western town of coyotes, bluejays, and rattlesnakes; and Cat Wings, her kids’ books. Always convincing, never condescending, inviting the reader into a magical parallel universe of experience. Hey, that’s why I read.

I remember being quite entranced by Kipling when I was a youngster: The Jungle Book, Just So Stories. I reread them recently and they hold up well, in part because of the storyteller’s tone. Now that I think of it, many fables and fairytales have nonhuman actors, who often show more “humanity” than the people.

Last month, the 10 minute animated DVD ‘Titanic Dog’ based on my children’s story from the viewpoint of the ‘Newfie’ sea rescue dog from the Titanic, was released. The challenge was to make the story positive, as so many children and dogs died, so an appealing dog perspective was my choice. Earlier I had even considered writing from the viewpoint of a flea on the dog. How to handle issues of smell, counting ( enough or not enough lifeboats) and the survival via legend in story telling had to be solved. Now animator Tobi Jessop has a computer game planned too. http://www.tobop.com.au ‘Titanic Dog’ was his first animation and took six months to research and draw so the dog viewpoint was credible and not scary.

I find it interesting that you presume to know how an animal “thinks” and I heartily disagree. Empirical evidence suggest far more than you seem to realize. This preconceived idea can do nothing but limit the work. Take a step back, get to know your dog or cat–give them the full voice of which they are capable. It will go better.

Perhaps I should have included my credentials. The two major activities in my life are (a) writing and (b) fostering and rehabilitating shelter dogs. I don’t claim to be Cesar Millan, but I spend a lot of time around dogs and am extremely close to my permanent pack. I’m also a member of a local canine training club and have the opportunity to observe a pretty wide range of other people’s dogs on a regular basis. I would rate my understanding of domesticated dogs as well above average.

I do know the story isn’t working – I said so in the post.

I never considered this, really interesting.

I don’t see why it should be a problem to let the animal think in English even though it can’t understand English speech because we are reading it in English. So you could think of it as translating from animal language to English language.

To me, writing it the way we believe an animal might think like in the excerpt sounded a bit like a children’s book.

The story is not told entirely in Muffin’s POV. It begins with a section in the POV of his human, and there are other human POV scenes later. However, the significant events in the story happen when no human is present, hence the need to find an authentic voice for Muffin. It does seem that what I did was too simple – I guess I was trying to capture his frame of mind in few words.

There are some very insightful comments above. If I tackle a similar challenge in future I’ll be less hung-up about using rich language, and will remember the very significant point about sensory description.

Though I haven’t written and animal story myself, I enjoyed Kathryn Davis’s The Thin Place. Now it’s not all from the animals’ points of view, but I think she did a good job. Maybe that’s the key, inserting the dog’s tale into something else that might offer context and give you a break from dog-think :) Break a pencil :) (superstitious writer’s good luck)

Thanks, I agree! See comment above – the story opens with a human POV section.

What might help is to consider interacting with the environment the way the protagonist might; as dogs tend to favor input from their noses and ears over their eyes (i.e., they go by smell more than sight, and have a more developed hearing range at the expense of their sight), perhaps stressing what the dogs’ smell and hear over what they see might help.

I had some dog stories I worked on (not yet finished) that flowed a lot better when I went with that approach, and this might be of help. I also had a piece that did get published where briefly we get the cat’s POV; because it was a lap cat, the perspective was, well, overly simple, but I assure you that there’s no prejudice involved in the limited motivations the cat had voiced…

A very good point. That’s why the Barbara Kingsolver example someone quoted above is so effective – we’re experiencing everything as the coyote does (and, of course, Kingsolver’s beautiful use of language enhances that.)

I do hope you solve your problems with your story Juliet. Y

Thanks! I think it’s been relegated to the bottom drawer forever, though. :)

While my novel–The Vampire Kitty-cat Chronicles–is hardly a classic, it is told from a cat’s point of view, and is in first person. If you want to take a look, there’s a sample chapter on http://www.vampirekittycat.com . In fact, the whole website is written “by” my cat character. Good luck!

How could I forget The Vampire Kitty-Cat Chronicles?? Seriously, I did think of it while writing the piece, but had to cut my examples down as it was all getting too long. This website is definitely worth a visit!

Wonderful and interesting post, Juliet. By giving a brief example of your writing you were able to really clarify the issue. In my book, Pet Sitter’s Diary, some of the animals ‘talk’, but it’s clear that I am interpreting what I THINK they would say in the given situation. In my opinion, the very best example of an author who was able to get inside the heart and mind of a dog was done by Eva Hornung in her novel, Dog Boy. An abandoned four year old Russian boy follows a wild dog pack back to their den and becomes one of them. It is an absolutely riveting tale of dog behavior.

Thanks, Sally! Dog Boy sounds wonderful, I will look it up.

(Coming to the conversation a bit late, via Elizabeth Craig’s tweeted link)

For my part, I’d say roughly 95% of my stories involve some sort of talking animal character, though I write fantasy and sf, so most of my animal POVs are far more anthropomorphized than what it looks like you’re going for. :)

You mention that you excluded works where the animals in them “act or think like humans,” but as others have already said, I think any time you write from the POV of a nonhuman character (whether it’s an animal, an alien, an inanimate object, etc.), you’re automatically anthropomorphizing that character to some extent. I think it’s just a question of what degree of humanization suits the story and genre. Something like Watership Down is, to my mind, already on the fantastic side of the anthropomorphism scale, because the rabbits, while still being ‘normal’ quadrupedal rabbits, also have gods and myths and societal structures and perform behaviors that normal rabbits probably wouldn’t engage in during the course of their lives. And there’s even a distinction to be made between the stories like Black Beauty, where the animals actually talk to each other in straight-out dialogue, and something like Call of the Wild where (as far as I remember; it’s been years since I read it) the animal characters communicate only as real canines would.

I think part of the problem with writing from the POV of ‘realistic’ animal characters, especially pets, is that it seems there’s a tendency to make the writing too simple and/or too cutesy or self-conscious. I don’t know if this has something to do with the infantilization of pets that you mentioned, but I wonder if it’s just that some writers find it hard to take an animal POV seriously (for whatever reason, whether it’s their own unconscious attitude about animals or the automatic association of animal characters with children’s stories), and then the writing automatically reflects an attitude of “yeah, the dog’s telling this story, I know that’s kind of silly.” So I guess I’d say that, like any aspect of craft, if you’re writing from that POV as a gimmick, it’ll show, and you have to have some conviction that your story really does need to be told by the dog, for whatever reason.

You make some really good points here, Renee. The example someone quoted from Barbara Kingsolver illustrates really well that if the writer takes the animal viewpoint seriously the narrative can be completely believable – this is assisted in Kingsolver’s case by her exquisite use of language of course! I agree with you that animal viewpoint should only be used where it is absolutely necessary for the story.

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The Ultimate Narrative Essay Guide for Beginners

A narrative essay tells a story in chronological order, with an introduction that introduces the characters and sets the scene. Then a series of events leads to a climax or turning point, and finally a resolution or reflection on the experience.

Speaking of which, are you in sixes and sevens about narrative essays? Don’t worry this ultimate expert guide will wipe out all your doubts. So let’s get started.

Table of Contents

Everything You Need to Know About Narrative Essay

What is a narrative essay.

When you go through a narrative essay definition, you would know that a narrative essay purpose is to tell a story. It’s all about sharing an experience or event and is different from other types of essays because it’s more focused on how the event made you feel or what you learned from it, rather than just presenting facts or an argument. Let’s explore more details on this interesting write-up and get to know how to write a narrative essay.

Elements of a Narrative Essay

Here’s a breakdown of the key elements of a narrative essay:

A narrative essay has a beginning, middle, and end. It builds up tension and excitement and then wraps things up in a neat package.

Real people, including the writer, often feature in personal narratives. Details of the characters and their thoughts, feelings, and actions can help readers to relate to the tale.

It’s really important to know when and where something happened so we can get a good idea of the context. Going into detail about what it looks like helps the reader to really feel like they’re part of the story.

Conflict or Challenge

A story in a narrative essay usually involves some kind of conflict or challenge that moves the plot along. It could be something inside the character, like a personal battle, or something from outside, like an issue they have to face in the world.

Theme or Message

A narrative essay isn’t just about recounting an event – it’s about showing the impact it had on you and what you took away from it. It’s an opportunity to share your thoughts and feelings about the experience, and how it changed your outlook.

Emotional Impact

The author is trying to make the story they’re telling relatable, engaging, and memorable by using language and storytelling to evoke feelings in whoever’s reading it.

Narrative essays let writers have a blast telling stories about their own lives. It’s an opportunity to share insights and impart wisdom, or just have some fun with the reader. Descriptive language, sensory details, dialogue, and a great narrative voice are all essentials for making the story come alive.

The Purpose of a Narrative Essay

A narrative essay is more than just a story – it’s a way to share a meaningful, engaging, and relatable experience with the reader. Includes:

Sharing Personal Experience

Narrative essays are a great way for writers to share their personal experiences, feelings, thoughts, and reflections. It’s an opportunity to connect with readers and make them feel something.

Entertainment and Engagement

The essay attempts to keep the reader interested by using descriptive language, storytelling elements, and a powerful voice. It attempts to pull them in and make them feel involved by creating suspense, mystery, or an emotional connection.

Conveying a Message or Insight

Narrative essays are more than just a story – they aim to teach you something. They usually have a moral lesson, a new understanding, or a realization about life that the author gained from the experience.

Building Empathy and Understanding

By telling their stories, people can give others insight into different perspectives, feelings, and situations. Sharing these tales can create compassion in the reader and help broaden their knowledge of different life experiences.

Inspiration and Motivation

Stories about personal struggles, successes, and transformations can be really encouraging to people who are going through similar situations. It can provide them with hope and guidance, and let them know that they’re not alone.

Reflecting on Life’s Significance

These essays usually make you think about the importance of certain moments in life or the impact of certain experiences. They make you look deep within yourself and ponder on the things you learned or how you changed because of those events.

Demonstrating Writing Skills

Coming up with a gripping narrative essay takes serious writing chops, like vivid descriptions, powerful language, timing, and organization. It’s an opportunity for writers to show off their story-telling abilities.

Preserving Personal History

Sometimes narrative essays are used to record experiences and special moments that have an emotional resonance. They can be used to preserve individual memories or for future generations to look back on.

Cultural and Societal Exploration

Personal stories can look at cultural or social aspects, giving us an insight into customs, opinions, or social interactions seen through someone’s own experience.

Format of a Narrative Essay

Narrative essays are quite flexible in terms of format, which allows the writer to tell a story in a creative and compelling way. Here’s a quick breakdown of the narrative essay format, along with some examples:

Introduction

Set the scene and introduce the story.

Engage the reader and establish the tone of the narrative.

Hook: Start with a captivating opening line to grab the reader’s attention. For instance:

Example: “The scorching sun beat down on us as we trekked through the desert, our water supply dwindling.”

Background Information: Provide necessary context or background without giving away the entire story.

Example: “It was the summer of 2015 when I embarked on a life-changing journey to…”

Thesis Statement or Narrative Purpose

Present the main idea or the central message of the essay.

Offer a glimpse of what the reader can expect from the narrative.

Thesis Statement: This isn’t as rigid as in other essays but can be a sentence summarizing the essence of the story.

Example: “Little did I know, that seemingly ordinary hike would teach me invaluable lessons about resilience and friendship.”

Body Paragraphs

Present the sequence of events in chronological order.

Develop characters, setting, conflict, and resolution.

Story Progression : Describe events in the order they occurred, focusing on details that evoke emotions and create vivid imagery.

Example : Detail the trek through the desert, the challenges faced, interactions with fellow hikers, and the pivotal moments.

Character Development : Introduce characters and their roles in the story. Show their emotions, thoughts, and actions.

Example : Describe how each character reacted to the dwindling water supply and supported each other through adversity.

Dialogue and Interactions : Use dialogue to bring the story to life and reveal character personalities.

Example : “Sarah handed me her last bottle of water, saying, ‘We’re in this together.'”

Reach the peak of the story, the moment of highest tension or significance.

Turning Point: Highlight the most crucial moment or realization in the narrative.

Example: “As the sun dipped below the horizon and hope seemed lost, a distant sound caught our attention—the rescue team’s helicopters.”

Provide closure to the story.

Reflect on the significance of the experience and its impact.

Reflection : Summarize the key lessons learned or insights gained from the experience.

Example : “That hike taught me the true meaning of resilience and the invaluable support of friendship in challenging times.”

Closing Thought : End with a memorable line that reinforces the narrative’s message or leaves a lasting impression.

Example : “As we boarded the helicopters, I knew this adventure would forever be etched in my heart.”

Example Summary:

Imagine a narrative about surviving a challenging hike through the desert, emphasizing the bonds formed and lessons learned. The narrative essay structure might look like starting with an engaging scene, narrating the hardships faced, showcasing the characters’ resilience, and culminating in a powerful realization about friendship and endurance.

Different Types of Narrative Essays

There are a bunch of different types of narrative essays – each one focuses on different elements of storytelling and has its own purpose. Here’s a breakdown of the narrative essay types and what they mean.

Personal Narrative

Description : Tells a personal story or experience from the writer’s life.

Purpose: Reflects on personal growth, lessons learned, or significant moments.

Example of Narrative Essay Types:

Topic : “The Day I Conquered My Fear of Public Speaking”

Focus: Details the experience, emotions, and eventual triumph over a fear of public speaking during a pivotal event.

Descriptive Narrative

Description : Emphasizes vivid details and sensory imagery.

Purpose : Creates a sensory experience, painting a vivid picture for the reader.

Topic : “A Walk Through the Enchanted Forest”

Focus : Paints a detailed picture of the sights, sounds, smells, and feelings experienced during a walk through a mystical forest.

Autobiographical Narrative

Description: Chronicles significant events or moments from the writer’s life.

Purpose: Provides insights into the writer’s life, experiences, and growth.

Topic: “Lessons from My Childhood: How My Grandmother Shaped Who I Am”

Focus: Explores pivotal moments and lessons learned from interactions with a significant family member.

Experiential Narrative

Description: Relays experiences beyond the writer’s personal life.

Purpose: Shares experiences, travels, or events from a broader perspective.

Topic: “Volunteering in a Remote Village: A Journey of Empathy”

Focus: Chronicles the writer’s volunteering experience, highlighting interactions with a community and personal growth.

Literary Narrative

Description: Incorporates literary elements like symbolism, allegory, or thematic explorations.

Purpose: Uses storytelling for deeper explorations of themes or concepts.

Topic: “The Symbolism of the Red Door: A Journey Through Change”

Focus: Uses a red door as a symbol, exploring its significance in the narrator’s life and the theme of transition.

Historical Narrative

Description: Recounts historical events or periods through a personal lens.

Purpose: Presents history through personal experiences or perspectives.

Topic: “A Grandfather’s Tales: Living Through the Great Depression”

Focus: Shares personal stories from a family member who lived through a historical era, offering insights into that period.

Digital or Multimedia Narrative

Description: Incorporates multimedia elements like images, videos, or audio to tell a story.

Purpose: Explores storytelling through various digital platforms or formats.

Topic: “A Travel Diary: Exploring Europe Through Vlogs”

Focus: Combines video clips, photos, and personal narration to document a travel experience.

How to Choose a Topic for Your Narrative Essay?

Selecting a compelling topic for your narrative essay is crucial as it sets the stage for your storytelling. Choosing a boring topic is one of the narrative essay mistakes to avoid . Here’s a detailed guide on how to choose the right topic:

Reflect on Personal Experiences

Significant Moments:

Moments that had a profound impact on your life or shaped your perspective.

Example: A moment of triumph, overcoming a fear, a life-changing decision, or an unforgettable experience.

Emotional Resonance:

Events that evoke strong emotions or feelings.

Example: Joy, fear, sadness, excitement, or moments of realization.

Lessons Learned:

Experiences that taught you valuable lessons or brought about personal growth.

Example: Challenges that led to personal development, shifts in mindset, or newfound insights.

Explore Unique Perspectives

Uncommon Experiences:

Unique or unconventional experiences that might captivate the reader’s interest.

Example: Unusual travels, interactions with different cultures, or uncommon hobbies.

Different Points of View:

Stories from others’ perspectives that impacted you deeply.

Example: A family member’s story, a friend’s experience, or a historical event from a personal lens.

Focus on Specific Themes or Concepts

Themes or Concepts of Interest:

Themes or ideas you want to explore through storytelling.

Example: Friendship, resilience, identity, cultural diversity, or personal transformation.

Symbolism or Metaphor:

Using symbols or metaphors as the core of your narrative.

Example: Exploring the symbolism of an object or a place in relation to a broader theme.

Consider Your Audience and Purpose

Relevance to Your Audience:

Topics that resonate with your audience’s interests or experiences.

Example: Choose a relatable theme or experience that your readers might connect with emotionally.

Impact or Message:

What message or insight do you want to convey through your story?

Example: Choose a topic that aligns with the message or lesson you aim to impart to your readers.

Brainstorm and Evaluate Ideas

Free Writing or Mind Mapping:

Process: Write down all potential ideas without filtering. Mind maps or free-writing exercises can help generate diverse ideas.

Evaluate Feasibility:

The depth of the story, the availability of vivid details, and your personal connection to the topic.

Imagine you’re considering topics for a narrative essay. You reflect on your experiences and decide to explore the topic of “Overcoming Stage Fright: How a School Play Changed My Perspective.” This topic resonates because it involves a significant challenge you faced and the personal growth it brought about.

Narrative Essay Topics

50 easy narrative essay topics.

Learning to Ride a Bike
My First Day of School
A Surprise Birthday Party
The Day I Got Lost
Visiting a Haunted House
An Encounter with a Wild Animal
My Favorite Childhood Toy
The Best Vacation I Ever Had
An Unforgettable Family Gathering
Conquering a Fear of Heights
A Special Gift I Received
Moving to a New City
The Most Memorable Meal
Getting Caught in a Rainstorm
An Act of Kindness I Witnessed
The First Time I Cooked a Meal
My Experience with a New Hobby
The Day I Met My Best Friend
A Hike in the Mountains
Learning a New Language
An Embarrassing Moment
Dealing with a Bully
My First Job Interview
A Sporting Event I Attended
The Scariest Dream I Had
Helping a Stranger
The Joy of Achieving a Goal
A Road Trip Adventure
Overcoming a Personal Challenge
The Significance of a Family Tradition
An Unusual Pet I Owned
A Misunderstanding with a Friend
Exploring an Abandoned Building
My Favorite Book and Why
The Impact of a Role Model
A Cultural Celebration I Participated In
A Valuable Lesson from a Teacher
A Trip to the Zoo
An Unplanned Adventure
Volunteering Experience
A Moment of Forgiveness
A Decision I Regretted
A Special Talent I Have
The Importance of Family Traditions
The Thrill of Performing on Stage
A Moment of Sudden Inspiration
The Meaning of Home
Learning to Play a Musical Instrument
A Childhood Memory at the Park
Witnessing a Beautiful Sunset

Narrative Essay Topics for College Students

Discovering a New Passion
Overcoming Academic Challenges
Navigating Cultural Differences
Embracing Independence: Moving Away from Home
Exploring Career Aspirations
Coping with Stress in College
The Impact of a Mentor in My Life
Balancing Work and Studies
Facing a Fear of Public Speaking
Exploring a Semester Abroad
The Evolution of My Study Habits
Volunteering Experience That Changed My Perspective
The Role of Technology in Education
Finding Balance: Social Life vs. Academics
Learning a New Skill Outside the Classroom
Reflecting on Freshman Year Challenges
The Joys and Struggles of Group Projects
My Experience with Internship or Work Placement
Challenges of Time Management in College
Redefining Success Beyond Grades
The Influence of Literature on My Thinking
The Impact of Social Media on College Life
Overcoming Procrastination
Lessons from a Leadership Role
Exploring Diversity on Campus
Exploring Passion for Environmental Conservation
An Eye-Opening Course That Changed My Perspective
Living with Roommates: Challenges and Lessons
The Significance of Extracurricular Activities
The Influence of a Professor on My Academic Journey
Discussing Mental Health in College
The Evolution of My Career Goals
Confronting Personal Biases Through Education
The Experience of Attending a Conference or Symposium
Challenges Faced by Non-Native English Speakers in College
The Impact of Traveling During Breaks
Exploring Identity: Cultural or Personal
The Impact of Music or Art on My Life
Addressing Diversity in the Classroom
Exploring Entrepreneurial Ambitions
My Experience with Research Projects
Overcoming Impostor Syndrome in College
The Importance of Networking in College
Finding Resilience During Tough Times
The Impact of Global Issues on Local Perspectives
The Influence of Family Expectations on Education
Lessons from a Part-Time Job
Exploring the College Sports Culture
The Role of Technology in Modern Education
The Journey of Self-Discovery Through Education

Narrative Essay Comparison

Narrative essay vs. descriptive essay.

Here’s our first narrative essay comparison! While both narrative and descriptive essays focus on vividly portraying a subject or an event, they differ in their primary objectives and approaches. Now, let’s delve into the nuances of comparison on narrative essays.

Narrative Essay:

Storytelling: Focuses on narrating a personal experience or event.

Chronological Order: Follows a structured timeline of events to tell a story.

Message or Lesson: Often includes a central message, moral, or lesson learned from the experience.

Engagement: Aims to captivate the reader through a compelling storyline and character development.

First-Person Perspective: Typically narrated from the writer’s point of view, using “I” and expressing personal emotions and thoughts.

Plot Development: Emphasizes a plot with a beginning, middle, climax, and resolution.

Character Development: Focuses on describing characters, their interactions, emotions, and growth.

Conflict or Challenge: Usually involves a central conflict or challenge that drives the narrative forward.

Dialogue: Incorporates conversations to bring characters and their interactions to life.

Reflection: Concludes with reflection or insight gained from the experience.

Descriptive Essay:

Vivid Description: Aims to vividly depict a person, place, object, or event.

Imagery and Details: Focuses on sensory details to create a vivid image in the reader’s mind.

Emotion through Description: Uses descriptive language to evoke emotions and engage the reader’s senses.

Painting a Picture: Creates a sensory-rich description allowing the reader to visualize the subject.

Imagery and Sensory Details: Focuses on providing rich sensory descriptions, using vivid language and adjectives.

Point of Focus: Concentrates on describing a specific subject or scene in detail.

Spatial Organization: Often employs spatial organization to describe from one area or aspect to another.

Objective Observations: Typically avoids the use of personal opinions or emotions; instead, the focus remains on providing a detailed and objective description.

Comparison:

Focus: Narrative essays emphasize storytelling, while descriptive essays focus on vividly describing a subject or scene.

Perspective: Narrative essays are often written from a first-person perspective, while descriptive essays may use a more objective viewpoint.

Purpose: Narrative essays aim to convey a message or lesson through a story, while descriptive essays aim to paint a detailed picture for the reader without necessarily conveying a specific message.

Narrative Essay vs. Argumentative Essay

The narrative essay and the argumentative essay serve distinct purposes and employ different approaches:

Engagement and Emotion: Aims to captivate the reader through a compelling story.

Reflective: Often includes reflection on the significance of the experience or lessons learned.

First-Person Perspective: Typically narrated from the writer’s point of view, sharing personal emotions and thoughts.

Plot Development: Emphasizes a storyline with a beginning, middle, climax, and resolution.

Message or Lesson: Conveys a central message, moral, or insight derived from the experience.

Argumentative Essay:

Persuasion and Argumentation: Aims to persuade the reader to adopt the writer’s viewpoint on a specific topic.

Logical Reasoning: Presents evidence, facts, and reasoning to support a particular argument or stance.

Debate and Counterarguments: Acknowledge opposing views and counter them with evidence and reasoning.

Thesis Statement: Includes a clear thesis statement that outlines the writer’s position on the topic.

Thesis and Evidence: Starts with a strong thesis statement and supports it with factual evidence, statistics, expert opinions, or logical reasoning.

Counterarguments: Addresses opposing viewpoints and provides rebuttals with evidence.

Logical Structure: Follows a logical structure with an introduction, body paragraphs presenting arguments and evidence, and a conclusion reaffirming the thesis.

Formal Language: Uses formal language and avoids personal anecdotes or emotional appeals.

Objective: Argumentative essays focus on presenting a logical argument supported by evidence, while narrative essays prioritize storytelling and personal reflection.

Purpose: Argumentative essays aim to persuade and convince the reader of a particular viewpoint, while narrative essays aim to engage, entertain, and share personal experiences.

Structure: Narrative essays follow a storytelling structure with character development and plot, while argumentative essays follow a more formal, structured approach with logical arguments and evidence.

In essence, while both essays involve writing and presenting information, the narrative essay focuses on sharing a personal experience, whereas the argumentative essay aims to persuade the audience by presenting a well-supported argument.

Narrative Essay vs. Personal Essay

While there can be an overlap between narrative and personal essays, they have distinctive characteristics:

Storytelling: Emphasizes recounting a specific experience or event in a structured narrative form.

Engagement through Story: Aims to engage the reader through a compelling story with characters, plot, and a central theme or message.

Reflective: Often includes reflection on the significance of the experience and the lessons learned.

First-Person Perspective: Typically narrated from the writer’s viewpoint, expressing personal emotions and thoughts.

Plot Development: Focuses on developing a storyline with a clear beginning, middle, climax, and resolution.

Character Development: Includes descriptions of characters, their interactions, emotions, and growth.

Central Message: Conveys a central message, moral, or insight derived from the experience.

Personal Essay:

Exploration of Ideas or Themes: Explores personal ideas, opinions, or reflections on a particular topic or subject.

Expression of Thoughts and Opinions: Expresses the writer’s thoughts, feelings, and perspectives on a specific subject matter.

Reflection and Introspection: Often involves self-reflection and introspection on personal experiences, beliefs, or values.

Varied Structure and Content: Can encompass various forms, including memoirs, personal anecdotes, or reflections on life experiences.

Flexibility in Structure: Allows for diverse structures and forms based on the writer’s intent, which could be narrative-like or more reflective.

Theme-Centric Writing: Focuses on exploring a central theme or idea, with personal anecdotes or experiences supporting and illustrating the theme.

Expressive Language: Utilizes descriptive and expressive language to convey personal perspectives, emotions, and opinions.

Focus: Narrative essays primarily focus on storytelling through a structured narrative, while personal essays encompass a broader range of personal expression, which can include storytelling but isn’t limited to it.

Structure: Narrative essays have a more structured plot development with characters and a clear sequence of events, while personal essays might adopt various structures, focusing more on personal reflection, ideas, or themes.

Intent: While both involve personal experiences, narrative essays emphasize telling a story with a message or lesson learned, while personal essays aim to explore personal thoughts, feelings, or opinions on a broader range of topics or themes.

5 Easy Steps for Writing a Narrative Essay

A narrative essay is more than just telling a story. It’s also meant to engage the reader, get them thinking, and leave a lasting impact. Whether it’s to amuse, motivate, teach, or reflect, these essays are a great way to communicate with your audience. This interesting narrative essay guide was all about letting you understand the narrative essay, its importance, and how can you write one.

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Creative Writing Prompts for Animal Lovers

by Melissa Donovan | Aug 16, 2018 | Creative Writing Prompts | 16 comments

Creative writing prompts about animals.

Today’s post includes a selection of prompts from 1200 Creative Writing Prompts . Enjoy!

Animals have played a significant role in literature throughout history.

They appear in poems and stories, and plenty of nonfiction works have been written about animals and humans’ experiences with animals.

From E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web to Jane Goodall’s (aff links) books on primatology, authors and readers alike have delighted in writing and reading about animals.

And it’s no wonder. We humans have forged strong bonds with animals. Our pets are like family members. In fact, Americans spend billions a year on their animal companions. Billions more are donated to wildlife preservation, animal welfare advocacy, and conservation efforts.

Naturally, animals fit comfortably into the stories we tell. Today’s creative writing prompts pay homage to our animal friends by inspiring a writing session that features animals.

Creative Writing Prompts About Animals

Below, you’ll find a series of creative writing prompts. Choose one, and turn it into a short story, a poem, a play, or an essay. Write anything you want, and if you can’t decide what to write, then do a freewrite.

Children are delighted when a mama cat gives birth to a litter of five orange tabbies and one little gray runt.
Write a piece using the following image: a camel walking across the desert.
A young man on his first hunting trip has a deer in his sight and suddenly remembers the day his dad took him to see Bambi .
Write a piece using the following image: sea life dying in waters that have been poisoned with toxins or littered with dangerous waste.
Sunlight dances on the surface of the water. Waves roll gently against the shore. Seagulls soar above, dipping and diving through the sky.
A school of dolphins is too trusting and approaches a boat whose crew is intent on capturing the dolphins and bringing them to a theme park for a swim-with-the-dolphins attraction.
A bird and squirrel live together in the same tree (like The Odd Couple ).
Write about hunting.
Two children, a brother and sister, respectively capture a butterfly and a moth, then proceed to argue over which insect is superior.
Write a piece using the following image: a bird’s nest full of eggs.

Creative Writing Prompts

If you use any of these creative writing prompts to spark a writing session, come back and tell us how they worked for you. What did you write? Did you learn anything new? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment. And keep writing.

For more inspiring prompts, pick up a copy of 1200 Creative Writing Prompts , available at your favorite online bookstore.

16 Comments

two puppies are seperated at birth. then reunited at the dog pound, when they are taken from their owners

That’s a great one! Thanks, James.

Why would an animal lover want to write about hunting?

Why wouldn’t they? There are animal lovers who hunt, and some animal lovers might have opinions about hunting that they want to express.

Animal lovers who hunt sort of doesn’t make sense because if they love animals, then why do they kill them?

I have known people who love their cats and dogs but go duck hunting. Most people who love animals also eat meat.

These look cool! TOTALLY using one!!

That’s awesome! Thanks, Margaret.

A person gets bit by a magicall wolf then…

That’s interesting!

I like that one!!! I used it for an assignment!! LOL

That’s great!

This is so helpful please do more of these.

There’s a whole category of prompts here: writing prompts , and you can also check out the books page , where you’ll find even more!

what about a group of wild animals are slowly being captured and taken to zoos.

I’m gonna use this is that’s ok!

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Essay on Zoo for Students and Children

500 words essay on zoo.

The world is a huge place to see. It consists of so many living organisms that it is impossible to see each and every one of them. Especially for human beings, who are fascinated very much by animals. For the same reasons, zoos were created so that humans can interact better with animals.

In other words, a zoo is a facility that has animals, birds, and reptiles of all kinds. They are confined to space where they are given food and medical facilities. The government has given strict guidelines to maintain a zoo. This is done keeping in mind the animal’s safety. In addition, zoos are made breeding grounds for animals to protect their species.

Benefits of Zoo

Zoos were made to bring wildlife closer to humans. It gave humans a better and up-close view of them. This allows various researchers and scientists to note the behavioral pattern of the animals. It helps them in their studies and discover new things.

In addition, zoos are a great source of entertainment for kids. They love visiting zoos and interacting with animals. This helps them learn practical knowledge about the animal. It also gives them exposure to wildlife and widens their knowledge.

Furthermore, zoos give us easy access to rare animals. Had it not been for zoos, we would have never been able to see what some animals looked like. We enjoy their behavior and it also creates awareness about the extinction of the rare species.

Similarly, zoos are a safe breeding ground for animals. They ensure the animal breeds so they never go extinct. This helps in creating a good balance. Moreover, the zoos ensure the animals get all the nutrition in their bodies to lead a healthy life. This is beneficial as the animal may not get guaranteed meals in the forests.

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Disadvantages of Zoo

While the zoo is a great place for entertainment, it is also very exploitive. It takes advantage of the poor animals to make a profit off them. The zoos keep animals in very bad conditions. It takes unethical methods just to create revenue.

Furthermore, zoos are very unfair to animals. They take the animals out of their natural habitats just for the sake of human entertainment. Why would the animals be put into cages as humans want them to? They are voiceless creatures who are being forced to live in poor conditions. Imagine putting humans into cages so animals could come to see them. It sounds inhumane the other way around but not when we do the same to animals.

Most importantly, zoos do not take proper care of exotic animals. They bring them over in their facility despite knowing that they cannot survive in that climate. Some zoos do not take enough precautionary measures to keep the animals safe. This has resulted in so many deaths of animals that it seems cruel.

In short, though zoos are very helpful to humans and animals to an extent. They must be monitored constantly to ensure the animals are safe. The unethical zoos must be shut down at once to prevent any further loss of animals.

FAQs on Zoo

Q.1 List the advantages of Zoo

A.1 Zoos bring the wildlife close to humans. It helps researchers study them closely and discover new things. It protects rare species and provides a safe breeding ground for them as well.

Q.2 How are zoos harmful to animals?

A.2 Zoos are very harmful to animals. They take them out of their natural habitat for human entertainment. They make them stay in poor conditions due to which they also lose their life and get infections.

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Essay on Helping Animals

Students are often asked to write an essay on Helping Animals in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Helping Animals

Why help animals.

Helping animals is important for many reasons. Animals are a part of our world. They make our environment rich and diverse. Some animals are our friends, like dogs and cats. Some animals help us in work, like horses and oxen. We must take care of them because they cannot speak or ask for help.

How Can We Help?

There are many ways to help animals. We can adopt pets from shelters instead of buying them. We can feed stray animals. We can also stop using things made from animal parts. This will save animals from being hurt.

Role of Animal Shelters

Animal shelters play a big role in helping animals. They take care of animals who have no home. They give them food, shelter, and love. They also help find new homes for them. We can support these shelters by donating money or volunteering.

Importance of Laws

There are laws to protect animals. These laws stop people from hurting animals. They also punish people who break these laws. We should know about these laws and follow them. We should also tell others about them.

Helping animals is not hard. It just needs a little care and love. By helping animals, we also help our world. So, let’s start today and make a difference.

250 Words Essay on Helping Animals

Why should we help animals.

Helping animals is important for many reasons. Animals are a crucial part of our world. They add beauty to nature and help in many ways. Some animals are our pets and give us company. Some animals help to keep our environment clean. So, we should care for them and help them when they are in need.

Ways to Help Animals

There are many ways to help animals. You can adopt a pet from an animal shelter instead of buying one. This gives a home to an animal who needs it. You can also feed stray animals. But remember to give them healthy food. Junk food is bad for their health.

Protecting Animal Habitats

One big way to help animals is by protecting their homes. Many animals lose their homes because of things like pollution and cutting down trees. We can help by not littering and by planting more trees.

Speaking Up for Animals

Animals cannot speak for themselves. So, we need to speak for them. If you see someone hurting an animal, tell an adult. You can also learn more about animals and tell others about how to help them.

In conclusion, helping animals is a good thing to do. It keeps them safe and healthy. It also helps our world be a better place. So, let’s all do our part to help animals.

500 Words Essay on Helping Animals

Introduction.

Helping animals is a noble act that shows kindness and respect for all living things. Animals, like humans, have the right to live a happy, healthy life. They need food, shelter, and care. But, sometimes, they can’t get these things on their own. That’s where we come in. We can help animals in many ways.

Helping Pets at Home

Pets, like dogs and cats, are part of our families. They need love, care, and attention. We can help them by giving them good food, clean water, and a safe place to live. We should also take them to the vet for regular check-ups. This helps to keep them healthy. Playing with pets and giving them love can also make them happy.

Helping Stray Animals

Stray animals are those that don’t have homes. They live on the streets and often don’t have enough food or water. We can help them by giving them food and water. We can also take them to animal shelters where they can get care and a safe place to live. If we see a stray animal that is hurt, we should call an animal rescue group for help.

Helping Wild Animals

Wild animals live in forests, jungles, and other natural places. They usually find their own food and shelter. But, sometimes, they need help too. We can help them by not hurting their homes. This means not cutting down trees or polluting rivers. We can also help by not hunting them or taking them from their homes to keep as pets. If we find a wild animal that is hurt, we should call a wildlife rescue group for help.

Helping Animals in Zoos

Animals in zoos live in places made to look like their natural homes. But, they still need care. We can help them by being kind when we visit zoos. This means not yelling at them or throwing things at them. We can also help by learning about them and telling others to care for them too.

Helping animals is important. It shows that we care for all living things. It also makes the world a better place for everyone. We can all help animals in many ways. Whether it’s our pet at home, a stray on the street, a wild animal in the forest, or an animal in a zoo, every act of kindness counts. Let’s all do our part to help animals and make the world a better place.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

Essay on Helping A Friend
Essay on Helping Earthquake Victims
Essay on Helping Someone

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 3 great narrative essay examples + tips for writing.

General Education

A narrative essay is one of the most intimidating assignments you can be handed at any level of your education. Where you've previously written argumentative essays that make a point or analytic essays that dissect meaning, a narrative essay asks you to write what is effectively a story .

But unlike a simple work of creative fiction, your narrative essay must have a clear and concrete motif —a recurring theme or idea that you’ll explore throughout. Narrative essays are less rigid, more creative in expression, and therefore pretty different from most other essays you’ll be writing.

But not to fear—in this article, we’ll be covering what a narrative essay is, how to write a good one, and also analyzing some personal narrative essay examples to show you what a great one looks like.

What Is a Narrative Essay?

At first glance, a narrative essay might sound like you’re just writing a story. Like the stories you're used to reading, a narrative essay is generally (but not always) chronological, following a clear throughline from beginning to end. Even if the story jumps around in time, all the details will come back to one specific theme, demonstrated through your choice in motifs.

Unlike many creative stories, however, your narrative essay should be based in fact. That doesn’t mean that every detail needs to be pure and untainted by imagination, but rather that you shouldn’t wholly invent the events of your narrative essay. There’s nothing wrong with inventing a person’s words if you can’t remember them exactly, but you shouldn’t say they said something they weren’t even close to saying.

Another big difference between narrative essays and creative fiction—as well as other kinds of essays—is that narrative essays are based on motifs. A motif is a dominant idea or theme, one that you establish before writing the essay. As you’re crafting the narrative, it’ll feed back into your motif to create a comprehensive picture of whatever that motif is.

For example, say you want to write a narrative essay about how your first day in high school helped you establish your identity. You might discuss events like trying to figure out where to sit in the cafeteria, having to describe yourself in five words as an icebreaker in your math class, or being unsure what to do during your lunch break because it’s no longer acceptable to go outside and play during lunch. All of those ideas feed back into the central motif of establishing your identity.

The important thing to remember is that while a narrative essay is typically told chronologically and intended to read like a story, it is not purely for entertainment value. A narrative essay delivers its theme by deliberately weaving the motifs through the events, scenes, and details. While a narrative essay may be entertaining, its primary purpose is to tell a complete story based on a central meaning.

Unlike other essay forms, it is totally okay—even expected—to use first-person narration in narrative essays. If you’re writing a story about yourself, it’s natural to refer to yourself within the essay. It’s also okay to use other perspectives, such as third- or even second-person, but that should only be done if it better serves your motif. Generally speaking, your narrative essay should be in first-person perspective.

Though your motif choices may feel at times like you’re making a point the way you would in an argumentative essay, a narrative essay’s goal is to tell a story, not convince the reader of anything. Your reader should be able to tell what your motif is from reading, but you don’t have to change their mind about anything. If they don’t understand the point you are making, you should consider strengthening the delivery of the events and descriptions that support your motif.

Narrative essays also share some features with analytical essays, in which you derive meaning from a book, film, or other media. But narrative essays work differently—you’re not trying to draw meaning from an existing text, but rather using an event you’ve experienced to convey meaning. In an analytical essay, you examine narrative, whereas in a narrative essay you create narrative.

The structure of a narrative essay is also a bit different than other essays. You’ll generally be getting your point across chronologically as opposed to grouping together specific arguments in paragraphs or sections. To return to the example of an essay discussing your first day of high school and how it impacted the shaping of your identity, it would be weird to put the events out of order, even if not knowing what to do after lunch feels like a stronger idea than choosing where to sit. Instead of organizing to deliver your information based on maximum impact, you’ll be telling your story as it happened, using concrete details to reinforce your theme.

3 Great Narrative Essay Examples

One of the best ways to learn how to write a narrative essay is to look at a great narrative essay sample. Let’s take a look at some truly stellar narrative essay examples and dive into what exactly makes them work so well.

A Ticket to the Fair by David Foster Wallace

Today is Press Day at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield, and I’m supposed to be at the fairgrounds by 9:00 A.M. to get my credentials. I imagine credentials to be a small white card in the band of a fedora. I’ve never been considered press before. My real interest in credentials is getting into rides and shows for free. I’m fresh in from the East Coast, for an East Coast magazine. Why exactly they’re interested in the Illinois State Fair remains unclear to me. I suspect that every so often editors at East Coast magazines slap their foreheads and remember that about 90 percent of the United States lies between the coasts, and figure they’ll engage somebody to do pith-helmeted anthropological reporting on something rural and heartlandish. I think they asked me to do this because I grew up here, just a couple hours’ drive from downstate Springfield. I never did go to the state fair, though—I pretty much topped out at the county fair level. Actually, I haven’t been back to Illinois for a long time, and I can’t say I’ve missed it.

Throughout this essay, David Foster Wallace recounts his experience as press at the Illinois State Fair. But it’s clear from this opening that he’s not just reporting on the events exactly as they happened—though that’s also true— but rather making a point about how the East Coast, where he lives and works, thinks about the Midwest.

In his opening paragraph, Wallace states that outright: “Why exactly they’re interested in the Illinois State Fair remains unclear to me. I suspect that every so often editors at East Coast magazines slap their foreheads and remember that about 90 percent of the United States lies between the coasts, and figure they’ll engage somebody to do pith-helmeted anthropological reporting on something rural and heartlandish.”

Not every motif needs to be stated this clearly , but in an essay as long as Wallace’s, particularly since the audience for such a piece may feel similarly and forget that such a large portion of the country exists, it’s important to make that point clear.

But Wallace doesn’t just rest on introducing his motif and telling the events exactly as they occurred from there. It’s clear that he selects events that remind us of that idea of East Coast cynicism , such as when he realizes that the Help Me Grow tent is standing on top of fake grass that is killing the real grass beneath, when he realizes the hypocrisy of craving a corn dog when faced with a real, suffering pig, when he’s upset for his friend even though he’s not the one being sexually harassed, and when he witnesses another East Coast person doing something he wouldn’t dare to do.

Wallace is literally telling the audience exactly what happened, complete with dates and timestamps for when each event occurred. But he’s also choosing those events with a purpose—he doesn’t focus on details that don’t serve his motif. That’s why he discusses the experiences of people, how the smells are unappealing to him, and how all the people he meets, in cowboy hats, overalls, or “black spandex that looks like cheesecake leotards,” feel almost alien to him.

All of these details feed back into the throughline of East Coast thinking that Wallace introduces in the first paragraph. He also refers back to it in the essay’s final paragraph, stating:

At last, an overarching theory blooms inside my head: megalopolitan East Coasters’ summer treats and breaks and literally ‘getaways,’ flights-from—from crowds, noise, heat, dirt, the stress of too many sensory choices….The East Coast existential treat is escape from confines and stimuli—quiet, rustic vistas that hold still, turn inward, turn away. Not so in the rural Midwest. Here you’re pretty much away all the time….Something in a Midwesterner sort of actuates , deep down, at a public event….The real spectacle that draws us here is us.

Throughout this journey, Wallace has tried to demonstrate how the East Coast thinks about the Midwest, ultimately concluding that they are captivated by the Midwest’s less stimuli-filled life, but that the real reason they are interested in events like the Illinois State Fair is that they are, in some ways, a means of looking at the East Coast in a new, estranging way.

The reason this works so well is that Wallace has carefully chosen his examples, outlined his motif and themes in the first paragraph, and eventually circled back to the original motif with a clearer understanding of his original point.

When outlining your own narrative essay, try to do the same. Start with a theme, build upon it with examples, and return to it in the end with an even deeper understanding of the original issue. You don’t need this much space to explore a theme, either—as we’ll see in the next example, a strong narrative essay can also be very short.

Death of a Moth by Virginia Woolf

After a time, tired by his dancing apparently, he settled on the window ledge in the sun, and, the queer spectacle being at an end, I forgot about him. Then, looking up, my eye was caught by him. He was trying to resume his dancing, but seemed either so stiff or so awkward that he could only flutter to the bottom of the window-pane; and when he tried to fly across it he failed. Being intent on other matters I watched these futile attempts for a time without thinking, unconsciously waiting for him to resume his flight, as one waits for a machine, that has stopped momentarily, to start again without considering the reason of its failure. After perhaps a seventh attempt he slipped from the wooden ledge and fell, fluttering his wings, on to his back on the window sill. The helplessness of his attitude roused me. It flashed upon me that he was in difficulties; he could no longer raise himself; his legs struggled vainly. But, as I stretched out a pencil, meaning to help him to right himself, it came over me that the failure and awkwardness were the approach of death. I laid the pencil down again.

In this essay, Virginia Woolf explains her encounter with a dying moth. On surface level, this essay is just a recounting of an afternoon in which she watched a moth die—it’s even established in the title. But there’s more to it than that. Though Woolf does not begin her essay with as clear a motif as Wallace, it’s not hard to pick out the evidence she uses to support her point, which is that the experience of this moth is also the human experience.

In the title, Woolf tells us this essay is about death. But in the first paragraph, she seems to mostly be discussing life—the moth is “content with life,” people are working in the fields, and birds are flying. However, she mentions that it is mid-September and that the fields were being plowed. It’s autumn and it’s time for the harvest; the time of year in which many things die.

In this short essay, she chronicles the experience of watching a moth seemingly embody life, then die. Though this essay is literally about a moth, it’s also about a whole lot more than that. After all, moths aren’t the only things that die—Woolf is also reflecting on her own mortality, as well as the mortality of everything around her.

At its core, the essay discusses the push and pull of life and death, not in a way that’s necessarily sad, but in a way that is accepting of both. Woolf begins by setting up the transitional fall season, often associated with things coming to an end, and raises the ideas of pleasure, vitality, and pity.

At one point, Woolf tries to help the dying moth, but reconsiders, as it would interfere with the natural order of the world. The moth’s death is part of the natural order of the world, just like fall, just like her own eventual death.

All these themes are set up in the beginning and explored throughout the essay’s narrative. Though Woolf doesn’t directly state her theme, she reinforces it by choosing a small, isolated event—watching a moth die—and illustrating her point through details.

With this essay, we can see that you don’t need a big, weird, exciting event to discuss an important meaning. Woolf is able to explore complicated ideas in a short essay by being deliberate about what details she includes, just as you can be in your own essays.

Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin

On the twenty-ninth of July, in 1943, my father died. On the same day, a few hours later, his last child was born. Over a month before this, while all our energies were concentrated in waiting for these events, there had been, in Detroit, one of the bloodiest race riots of the century. A few hours after my father’s funeral, while he lay in state in the undertaker’s chapel, a race riot broke out in Harlem. On the morning of the third of August, we drove my father to the graveyard through a wilderness of smashed plate glass.

Like Woolf, Baldwin does not lay out his themes in concrete terms—unlike Wallace, there’s no clear sentence that explains what he’ll be talking about. However, you can see the motifs quite clearly: death, fatherhood, struggle, and race.

Throughout the narrative essay, Baldwin discusses the circumstances of his father’s death, including his complicated relationship with his father. By introducing those motifs in the first paragraph, the reader understands that everything discussed in the essay will come back to those core ideas. When Baldwin talks about his experience with a white teacher taking an interest in him and his father’s resistance to that, he is also talking about race and his father’s death. When he talks about his father’s death, he is also talking about his views on race. When he talks about his encounters with segregation and racism, he is talking, in part, about his father.

Because his father was a hard, uncompromising man, Baldwin struggles to reconcile the knowledge that his father was right about many things with his desire to not let that hardness consume him, as well.

Baldwin doesn’t explicitly state any of this, but his writing so often touches on the same motifs that it becomes clear he wants us to think about all these ideas in conversation with one another.

At the end of the essay, Baldwin makes it more clear:

This fight begins, however, in the heart and it had now been laid to my charge to keep my own heart free of hatred and despair. This intimation made my heart heavy and, now that my father was irrecoverable, I wished that he had been beside me so that I could have searched his face for the answers which only the future would give me now.

Here, Baldwin ties together the themes and motifs into one clear statement: that he must continue to fight and recognize injustice, especially racial injustice, just as his father did. But unlike his father, he must do it beginning with himself—he must not let himself be closed off to the world as his father was. And yet, he still wishes he had his father for guidance, even as he establishes that he hopes to be a different man than his father.

In this essay, Baldwin loads the front of the essay with his motifs, and, through his narrative, weaves them together into a theme. In the end, he comes to a conclusion that connects all of those things together and leaves the reader with a lasting impression of completion—though the elements may have been initially disparate, in the end everything makes sense.

You can replicate this tactic of introducing seemingly unattached ideas and weaving them together in your own essays. By introducing those motifs, developing them throughout, and bringing them together in the end, you can demonstrate to your reader how all of them are related. However, it’s especially important to be sure that your motifs and clear and consistent throughout your essay so that the conclusion feels earned and consistent—if not, readers may feel mislead.

5 Key Tips for Writing Narrative Essays

Narrative essays can be a lot of fun to write since they’re so heavily based on creativity. But that can also feel intimidating—sometimes it’s easier to have strict guidelines than to have to make it all up yourself. Here are a few tips to keep your narrative essay feeling strong and fresh.

Develop Strong Motifs

Motifs are the foundation of a narrative essay . What are you trying to say? How can you say that using specific symbols or events? Those are your motifs.

In the same way that an argumentative essay’s body should support its thesis, the body of your narrative essay should include motifs that support your theme.

Try to avoid cliches, as these will feel tired to your readers. Instead of roses to symbolize love, try succulents. Instead of the ocean representing some vast, unknowable truth, try the depths of your brother’s bedroom. Keep your language and motifs fresh and your essay will be even stronger!

Use First-Person Perspective

In many essays, you’re expected to remove yourself so that your points stand on their own. Not so in a narrative essay—in this case, you want to make use of your own perspective.

Sometimes a different perspective can make your point even stronger. If you want someone to identify with your point of view, it may be tempting to choose a second-person perspective. However, be sure you really understand the function of second-person; it’s very easy to put a reader off if the narration isn’t expertly deployed.

If you want a little bit of distance, third-person perspective may be okay. But be careful—too much distance and your reader may feel like the narrative lacks truth.

That’s why first-person perspective is the standard. It keeps you, the writer, close to the narrative, reminding the reader that it really happened. And because you really know what happened and how, you’re free to inject your own opinion into the story without it detracting from your point, as it would in a different type of essay.

Stick to the Truth

Your essay should be true. However, this is a creative essay, and it’s okay to embellish a little. Rarely in life do we experience anything with a clear, concrete meaning the way somebody in a book might. If you flub the details a little, it’s okay—just don’t make them up entirely.

Also, nobody expects you to perfectly recall details that may have happened years ago. You may have to reconstruct dialog from your memory and your imagination. That’s okay, again, as long as you aren’t making it up entirely and assigning made-up statements to somebody.

Dialog is a powerful tool. A good conversation can add flavor and interest to a story, as we saw demonstrated in David Foster Wallace’s essay. As previously mentioned, it’s okay to flub it a little, especially because you’re likely writing about an experience you had without knowing that you’d be writing about it later.

However, don’t rely too much on it. Your narrative essay shouldn’t be told through people explaining things to one another; the motif comes through in the details. Dialog can be one of those details, but it shouldn’t be the only one.

Use Sensory Descriptions

Because a narrative essay is a story, you can use sensory details to make your writing more interesting. If you’re describing a particular experience, you can go into detail about things like taste, smell, and hearing in a way that you probably wouldn’t do in any other essay style.

These details can tie into your overall motifs and further your point. Woolf describes in great detail what she sees while watching the moth, giving us the sense that we, too, are watching the moth. In Wallace’s essay, he discusses the sights, sounds, and smells of the Illinois State Fair to help emphasize his point about its strangeness. And in Baldwin’s essay, he describes shattered glass as a “wilderness,” and uses the feelings of his body to describe his mental state.

All these descriptions anchor us not only in the story, but in the motifs and themes as well. One of the tools of a writer is making the reader feel as you felt, and sensory details help you achieve that.

What’s Next?

Looking to brush up on your essay-writing capabilities before the ACT? This guide to ACT English will walk you through some of the best strategies and practice questions to get you prepared!

Part of practicing for the ACT is ensuring your word choice and diction are on point. Check out this guide to some of the most common errors on the ACT English section to be sure that you're not making these common mistakes!

A solid understanding of English principles will help you make an effective point in a narrative essay, and you can get that understanding through taking a rigorous assortment of high school English classes !

Melissa Brinks graduated from the University of Washington in 2014 with a Bachelor's in English with a creative writing emphasis. She has spent several years tutoring K-12 students in many subjects, including in SAT prep, to help them prepare for their college education.

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Rationalization

When animals die by human hands: justifications and justice, a new book examines how humans rationalize animal deaths and use dead animals..

Posted May 21, 2024 | Reviewed by Michelle Quirk

What Is Rationalization?
Find counselling near me.
The book sheds light on the interconnections of animal death with race, colonialism, gender, and capitalism.
Some deaths, like those of farmed animals and roadkill, go almost entirely unrecognized and ungrieved.
It opens up avenues for hope and action to improve the lives and reduce the suffering and deaths of animals.

Nonhuman animals (animals) and human animals are constantly dying for a wide variety of reasons. Each individual's death is a loss, and while most people I know have thought about their own and others' deaths, many, for one reason or another, haven't given as much, if any, thought to the death of nonhumans, predominantly caused by humans. This is one of many reasons why I was attracted to, and learned a lot from, an eye-opening and heart-opening new book titled When Animals Die: Examining Justifications and Envisioning Justice edited by Drs. Katja M. Guenther and Julian Paul Keenan.

While the essays don't offer a universal understanding of what "death is," I cannot imagine anyone, after reading this wide-ranging book, will look at animal death in the same ways they did before reading the contributors' essays. The truth is, we are surrounded by, and immersed in, animal death, and many people don't know about, think about, or believe, for example, the undebatable fact that countless otherwise healthy nonhumans are killed by humans for food, by cars, or because they don't fit into the breeding programs of zoos . Often, the deaths of food animals, zoo animals, and wild animals are written off and sanitized as being examples of euthanasia—mercy killings—which they're clearly not. 1 I totally agree with part of the book's description: "A groundbreaking collection that explores human–animal relations and deaths with depth and hope."

Here's what Katja and Julian had to say about their seminal and wide-ranging book.

Marc Bekoff: How does your book relate to your backgrounds and general areas of interest?

Julian Paul Keenan: My background is in neuroscience , psychology, biology, and philosophy . I look at death as a neurological process, and my colleagues see death in animals, for example, as a forensic crime to be solved. Evolutionary biologists see death as not the end, but as part of the process that has existed for billions of years.

Katja approaches death from a societal viewpoint, especially thinking about how animals get caught up in systems of inequalities humans have created. It’s impossible to be thinking about inequality and animals and not address animal death. Katja did a lot of research in a high-intake animal shelter for her last book, so she was in an institution where humans killed animals pretty much every day. And those were companion animals—the ones we claim to love and who sit very high on the species hierarchy. That research led her to spend a lot of time thinking and asking questions and writing about animal death and about how grief can motivate human action on behalf of animals. Both of us were really excited about working together to bridge many different areas of knowledge.

MB: Who do you hope to reach in your interesting and important book?

JPK: This book should reach a wide audience—everyone, really!—and I am especially eager to bring in readers who might not think about this topic that often. Those readers could include people concerned about the climate crisis but who haven’t had the opportunity yet to think much about the place of animal death in environmental catastrophe. Our readers will also include people who are interested in understanding structural inequalities and who are open to at least considering how animals and the deaths of animals are part of, and consequences of, those inequalities.

MB: What are some of the major topics you consider?

Katja Guenther: Each chapter focuses on a different topic related to animal death, but a common theme among most of them is the connection between human ideologies and activities and animals’ deaths. Whether analyzing the practices of the burgeoning guinea pig farming industry in Peru or the development and then decommissioning of transgenic animals, each chapter shows how entangled humans and animals are in the processes that lead to animals’ deaths. And while we recognize that engaging with the topic of death can be challenging, When Animals Die also opens up avenues for hope, and for action, to improve the lives and reduce the suffering and deaths of animals.

MB: How does your book differ from others that are concerned with some of the same general topics?

KG: What sets our book apart from the small number of existing collections on animal death is its interdisciplinarity and its commitment to troubling animal death. What I mean by interdisciplinarity is that we really worked to bring in voices from a lot of different fields of study and areas of activism, so the book includes contributors utilizing perspectives on Indigenous food sovereignty, prison abolition, feminist animal studies, farmed animal welfare, and more. And what I mean by “troubling” is that the contributors to this book approach animal death as complex and multidimensional and too often problematic in that it involves suffering and violence and devaluation of life, and they work to understand animal death—and the events and actions and institutions that lead up to it—that way.

MB: Are you hopeful that as people learn more about death and dying in animals they will come to understand what the individuals experience during their last days?

KG: I think anyone reading the book will come away with a better understanding of both animals’ lives and their deaths, including the processes that lead to their deaths and how humans are active in that. As several of the chapters bring up, it’s challenging even to define death (or life), and humans can't comprehend the experience of death any better than any other animal. What this book illuminates is this complexity of death and the diverse meanings we give to animals’ deaths. Some deaths—like those of farmed animals and roadkill (farming and road accidents being the first and second most common causes of animal death in the United States)—go almost entirely unrecognized and ungrieved.

One chapter of When Animals Die, for instance, presents an analysis of the terrible deaths that now over 80 million U.S. chickens living on farms where there is a concern about an avian flu outbreak have endured, with the active involvement of the USDA. In industrial agriculture, animal death is rarely grieved, unless as an economic loss—but U.S. taxpayers minimize even that. Yet, other animals’ lives and deaths, like those of salmon caught by members of the Tseshaht community, are honored and reflected upon, as detailed in a chapter that centers Indigenous food sovereignty. Humans attach different meanings to the deaths of different types of animals, and those meanings in turn impact the types of lives and deaths humans make possible for those animals.

In conversation with Drs. Katja M. Guenther , professor of gender & sexuality studies at the University of California, Riverside, whose research focuses on gender, feminist activism and social movements, human-animal relationships, and the state, and Julian Paul Keenan , professor of biology and psychology at Montclair State University, whose interests include neuroimaging, self-awareness and theory of mind, deception and deception detection, and evolutionary cognitive neuroscience.

1. To call attention to the misuse of the word "euthanasia," a mercy killing, I coined the term "zoothanasia." "Zoothanasia" Is Not Euthanasia: Words Matter ; Killing Healthy Animals in Zoos: "Zoothanasia" is a Reality . Focusing on so-called "food animals," Temple Grandin refers to the walkway on which food animals take their last steps, if they can walk, and take their last breaths, as a " stairway to heaven ," before being brutally slaughtered on killing floors of industrial slaughterhouses.

Andrew Jacobs. A Cruel Way to Control Bird Flu? Poultry Giants Cull and Cash In . New York Times. April 2, 2024.

Marc Bekoff, Ph.D. , is professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

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